Fine Line
by Ren Estera
Summary: There is a fine line between everything:Men and Women;Heaven and Hell;Sin and Pleasure;Truth and Delusion;Friends and Enemies;Love and Lust AU MaruiXOCXVarious
1. Meetings

**A new Prince of Tennis story from me again. Hopefully this one will have a better future than Sonata's of the Heart. The concept I'm going to be using is not new. But hopefully the plot will be since I did a research before starting =] What this new idea is, you'll have to see in chapter 2.  
**

**Meetings**.

Pulling on my sports shoes, I stood and walked out of the apartment, not before grabbing my keys and purse; stuffing them into the pockets of my shorts. Locking the door behind me, I ran through mentally the items I needed to buy.

"Hmm…I need more eggs and maybe 2 cartons of chocolate milk as well…" I murmured, recalling the last party I had with my girlfriends which resulted in me practically foodless.

Within the elevator, I rolled back and forth on my feet, smiling shyly at the lady who was inside it before me.

"That's a really lovely necklace." She commented kindly, taking note of the pendant I had around my neck.

Instinctively, I reached up for it. "Ah…thank you." I said softly, nervously pulling at the hem of my white jacket.

I did not do well with strangers or anything social for that matter. It made me uncomfortable to be doing anything open with someone I wasn't close with. Even sometimes when they were my friends, I cant be really open with them.

I remembered once that they told me I was slightly cold. The elevator dinged and I walked out with a sigh. I tried to open myself up more, it worked for awhile but soon I just couldn't keep up the charade. It was hard for me to just be so….open.

Cold, shy, quiet….these are terms which I am usually associated with.

I walked towards the department store a few blocks away from my apartment, heading bobbing lightly to the music blaring out of my earphones.

Upon reaching the glass doors of the store, I pushed it open, catching a glimpse of a mock of red hair which disappeared down the snacks aisle. I went onto my own shopping, not surprised at the fiery hair color which can be considered unusual, since it was the age of wild hairstyles.

Lots of people have their own, customized hairs nowadays with colors of varying degrees.

My phone rang suddenly, the song "Beautiful World" by Utada Hikaru flowing out. Quickly pulling out my earphones, I picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Kumiko-chaan!" A high, cheery voice answered.

I smiled slightly. "Aya-chan. What is it?" I asked.

"Do you know what day it is the _day after tomorrow~_?" She asked, dragging out the last few words and singing them.

I sighed. "My birthday?" I answered, hoping slightly I was wrong. But what were the chances?

"Yes!! So anyways, me and the other girls got something planned for you, okay? So don't you go disappearing or planning something else on your own like last year!!" She hissed out.

I scratched my cheek cheekily, remembering last year's fiasco for my 17th birthday. I didn't know they had a party planned for me already…..so I made a trip to visit my cousins on the other side of Japan.

I remembered they were pretty much upset with me for not informing them, and letting their money go to waste. I made up for it by treating them all to a buffet dinner though…which tore a hole through my college funds.

"I wont…Please don't do anything too grand Aya-chan." I requested, voice pleading.

She hummed. "Don't worry. Its not exactly grand, yet its something you will _never_ forget!"

I bit my lip in slight worry. Something I will never forget? I sure never forgot that blind date she set me on with the tennis club captain back in high school….It was the most embarrassing day in my life.

I spilled my grape juice on him when I walked into him from behind as he jabbered on about his tennis skills and wealthy parents. I never did like the boy but I still felt guilt for ruining his Armani clothes…

"I'll see you tomorrow, alright then? I have to go now. Eiji-kun is calling me."

I nodded but then realized she can't see. "Alright. See you. Say hi to Kikumaru-kun for me."

The line went dead as I heaved another sigh. I had been doing that a lot lately. Maybe I'm just stressed from college life. I'm relatively new to it, having just started about 5 months back. I still keep in contact with my close friends such as Aya from back in middle school and high school, though most of them have went to study abroad. I made a few new friends in college though Aya helped strengthen my bonds with them due to her outgoing and bright personality. She arranged various outings and invited them along despite not knowing them too well and after the first few, she just hit it off with them. I did too but maybe not as much as her though I can still count on them for help.

I checked the time and saw that it was near evening. I should probably head home and start dinner. Quickly grabbing the things I needed and shoving them into the basket, I made my way over to the counters. Seeing as one of them had the man with red-hair in line, I took the free one next to it.

As the lady checked off my items one by one, I can't help but overhear the conversation going on at the next counter over in this silent department. Its not that I liked gossip, but its because the man's voice was loud enough that it drifted over.

His voice was smooth and it sounded charismatic; the type of voices that belonged to those hunky yet arrogant characters in shows. "I'm sorry, but I really cant find my wallet!" He explained, exasperated.

I turned slightly to peek at what was going on. The counter lady was looking at the man disapprovingly as he tried to…soften her with his pleading look; eyes downcast and pouting slightly.

"I'm sorry sir. Then you can't have it." The lady replied, shaking her head.

"Can't you place it on my tab?" He tried again.

"I'm sorry but you're not exactly a regular customer here. And we don't do 'tabs." She responded almost angrily.

I watched as the man sighed, and stared forlornly at the item of his desire on the counter. I noted that he was wearing a red jacket, with a white V-necked shirt underneath and black pants. He didn't seem to be a street beggar pretending to be a customer just to get free food…

My eyes drifted down. And beggars won't get those type of food anyways.

It was just a stack of sweets. Marshmellows, chocolate covered caramels, several strawberry and tiramisu flavored pockies and a bag of sugar-coated fruit candies. On the side lay a few gum bars, mostly apple flavored.

The strawberry and tiramisu flavored pocky were some of my favorite flavors. And I liked that brand of gum he was buying…

The man's shoulders fell forward, his head following along, slumping in defeat. I smiled at his exaggerated sadness. It was just candy wasn't it?

And because it was just candy, I didn't see no harm in doing this. "Umm…excuse me…" I called softly, my shyness kicking back in. They both turned towards me. I didn't make eye contact with either of them, I kept it on the candy. "I can pay for you..if you like." I offered, looking up hesitantly to see their reaction.

It wasn't common for a random stranger to suddenly pay for your items after all. I could see that the man's face brightened instantly and the counter lady looking at me unsurely. "Are you sure, Miss?" She asked.

I smiled. "Yea…I don't mind."

After paying for my things at my counter, I walked over to the other and paid for this strange person's candies. Taking the bag, I offered it to him as I walked towards the glass doors.

He took it from me, a huge grin breaking across his face. "Sweet! Thanks a lot." He piped, is voice strangely sincere and genuine, relieved even, to be getting his sweets.

"No problem." I said. I took a good look at him this time since he was closer. He towered over me (curse my height), with me reaching up to his mid-neck. His hair isn't exactly a fiery red like I had thought. It was more of a deep pink color, or maybe a bright magenta. His skin was toned, smooth and flawless. I bet if I were to touch it, it would feel like silk. Light lavender orbs captured my gaze, my dark brown ones contrasting with his cheerful eyes. His hair framed his face, giving a boyish look.

In short: He was beautiful

Yet it wasn't that elegant beauty that is usually related to men- feminine men. This one didn't look feminine. He was beautiful in such a way that he didn't look feminine; he had more of a mischievous air to him. The way his mouth curled into that grin before transitioning into a smirk.

He raised one hand and waved it in front of me. "Are you alright?" He asked, curious eyes peering into mine.

I blushed when I realized how close he had leant into me, and I quickly took a step back. "Yea, I-I'm fine." I answered quickly, stuttering a little.

"Hmmm~"

"Anyways, I hope you enjoy your….sweets." I turned to leave.

"Wait!!"

I stopped. "Yes?"

"I have to repay you somehow…" He said, eyes somewhat guilty.

"No. It's alright. You don't have to repay me…" I paused, thinking over my words before saying them. "Think of it as a gift from an angel." I said with a grin. Turning, I didn't see his wide eyes blink in surprise, before a smirk came onto his lips once again.

Walking away at a brisk pace, I mentally pummeled myself. "Gift from an angel….how lame can you get?!" I muttered under my breath. I just had a surge in that moment to try and be open….to a complete stranger.

---

The day of my birthday arrived, quite fast in my opinion. Grudgingly, I checked the clock from my position at the desk, seeing that its 5pm now. I have 2 hours before Aya-chan and the other girls arrived to bring me somewhere.

They didn't tell me where we were going. All they said was to dress casual yet formal. The hell was I supposed to do that?

Scratching my head, I decided to give up on my research paper and take a shower instead; deciding to prim myself at least, for my birthday party…thing.

Lavender flavored shampoo bubbles slid down my back as the warm water hit my skin. As I turned off the shower, I wrapped myself in a white towel, glancing at the clock again as I walked out into my room.

5:30pm.

Man, I have too much time to kill. With this thought in my, I deliberately slowed down when I dressed and took extra time in doing my hair. I wasn't one for make-up hence I don't own any other than several sticks of gloss. I applied a light layer of the glittery fruit gloss on, picking up my comb right after.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that it was almost 7pm. I took a step back to preview myself in the mirror like always.

My hair was held up in two loose ponytails on either side of my head, with most of my hair let loose. A bit similar to the style little school girls usually use; but I liked this style and felt that it suited me rather than making me look foolish. Not a lot of adults use this hairstyle- an adult now since I'm 18 as of today.

My dress was a one-piece sleeveless outfit; a red band going across my waist and a V-neck line. It clung to me, showing whatever curves I have if any. Two thick bangles, red and white, dangled on my left wrist, and a sole silver earring from my left ear. I didn't wear any earrings on my right.

To finish it off, I adorned wooden platform shoes, with white straps and a red band on them as well. Not to be vain or anything, but I had to admit I looked decent.

I heard the doorbell ring then. Nearly falling over from surprise, I quickly walked out into the living room and answered it. Aya stood there in all her happy glory, a huge grin plastered on with some of the other girls. No boys were present.

My brows furrowed in worry. Aya has good intentions but sometimes, it just gets way too hardcore.

"There's the birthday girl!!" She yelled, throwing her arms around me and pulling me into a headlock. I grimaced under her grip. Despite being my birthday, I'm not really smiling a lot am I? Maybe I'm just a pessimist.

One of the girls there smiled, telling Aya to get off me. "Aya-chan, don't ruin Kumiko-chan's hair." She said in a jesting manner. Aya scoffed but released me anyway. I rubbed my neck as I smiled at her Yura in appreciation. "Thanks, Yura-chan."

I nodded to the other 2 girls behind Yura- Rinko and Asuka.

Before I could even greet them, Asuka blared out, " Alright! Let's go party girls! Our youngest member has finally come to the legal age of 18!! Let's celebrate with a bang!!" Asuka declared, pumping her fists in the air and even doing a small jump despite wearing high heels.

I paled slightly. "I really hope you guys didnt plan anything too…." I trailed off.

Rinko linked arms with me. "Don't worry Kumiko-chan. Yura-chan here will keep us all in check, ne?" She smiled although I do not feel comforted by it.

And hence they pulled me into Asuka's car, the eldest of us all in the group at age 20.

Yura came in next at 19. Then came Rinko, Aya and me but they turned 18, months before. Now it was my turn.

For their 18th birthday, lots of people got drunk and Rinko got hooked with some American transfer student at the college; Let's just say that the main bedroom of the house we had the party at was a mess. I'm glad it wasn't my house.

I was shoved into the black darkness of the car by Aya who slid in behind me; the car door shut.

---

The city lights suddenly ceased to reach my eyes as hands suddenly clamped over my eyes.

"Wha-?!"

"It's a surpise Kumiko-chan!" Aya's voice chimed.

I gave in without protest. I already came this far with them. Might as well get on with it and see what they have planned.

I was lead out of the car and I heard Asuka talking to someone; a male voice.

I gulped. They told me it was a girl's night out. Wasn't that supposed to mean there were no guys? I didn't do well with guys I'm unfamiliar with….and I only ever have one or two male friends, one of them being Eiji, Aya's boyfriend.

I felt my nervous side kick in at the idea of guys being here tonight. I didn't want any guys here!

I was lead forward slowly by, I'm guessing Yura, as Aya's hand held fast over my eyes. Cold air suddenly whipped into my face, despite Aya's warm hands on my upper face. I heard an elevator ding and the sound of its doors sliding open.

Lead in, I can distinctly feel glass by the elevator wall I'm standing by. I heard Asuka and Rinko giggling at the other corner. As the doors opened again, I was then aware of a new presence with us.

A man's voice entered my ears. "This way ladies." I could tell he was in front as his voice came from that direction. This time I was really starting to question what my friends had planned.

"Um…guys, what did you plan exactly?" I asked hesistantly.

Aya cackled softly into my ears from behind. "Be patient Kumiko-chan~" She sang. "We're almost there."

So I elapsed into a uncomfortable silence.

I heard the footsteps in front stop soon and Aya stopped me as well.

"Here it is. I hope you will have a wonderful time tonight." The same man from before spoke.

I heard his footsteps leave.

Finally, I heard Asuka burst out into giddy laughter. "Haha! I just cant wait to see what you think Kumiko-chan!!"

"Umm…"

I didn't get to speak. Aya broke in before I could.

"Let's just get on already!!" I could clearly hear the excitement in her voice. Just then, Rinko cleared her throat.

I couldn't see their expressions but I swear there's a smile on Rinko's face right now; good or bad I have no idea.

"Well Kumiko-chan, I hope you have a wonderful 18th birthday~"

I felt someone take my hand and place it on a doorknob.

Getting the message, I turned it and pushed the door open. When I did, Aya released her hands from my eyes.

My eyes blinked open, and I found myself staring at pairs of beautiful eyes.

Men's eyes.

**Reviews~**


	2. Introducing

_**Enjoy~**_

**Introducing Myself and Them**

I feel my cheeks turn a faded pink.

The room I stepped into was a bar sort of place. An elegant bar.

A long island counter was situated at a side, its white surface polished and glinting under the brilliant white emitting from the glass lights on the ceiling. Six shimmering silver chairs lined the counter in alternating plush colors; red, blue ,red, blue, red, blue.

Rows and rows of bottles of various shapes and sizes were arranged neatly on a white shelf behind the counter, and glass cups hung from a hanging glass holder right above the preparation counter.

Walls of the room were painted a dark midnight blue as well as the ceiling. Certain areas of the ceilings were painted deep purple, especially areas where indented lights are built in. Several paintings were hung neatly around the wide area; and to one side, a huge silvery white clock ticked away.

One wall had a large window going across it, revealing the brilliant city lights of Tokyo and implying that this place was located several floors up. See-through light blue curtains laced the window, with red linings. Around the corners of the room, black sofas were placed with two to three mini café tables of a luscious white.

Other than the sofas, white tables with glass surfaces were in place as well, each with two of the same seats at the island counter. At one side, there was a hallway turning into another area, presumably the bathroom.

The place was beautifully designed. Simple and elegant yet expensive.

But my pink cheeks did not occur because of the beauty of the room.

It was the room's occupants before I stepped in.

Many men, _beautiful_ men may I add, were scattered across the room, adding to the room's beauty with their presence. They however, converged into the center of the room when I opened the white door. They now stood lined, all their gorgeous eyes trained on me.

_What was this place?__!_

What kind of place would have so many gorgeous men gathered into one enclosed space? Wouldn't this be sinful, stealing the world of male eye candy?

I couldn't focus my eyes on anyone on them though I did linger longer on one before my attention is dragged elsewhere.

I had a feeling my eyes were slightly wider than usual from…shock? Surprise? Curiosity?

One of them stepped forward and I nearly took a step back if not for Aya's hand, sneakily placed on my back to keep me from moving backwards.

The man smiled, one hand rising to brush smooth locks out of his eyes. Entrancing gray eyes captured mine as he took one of my shaking hands and raised it to his lips.

Lightly, he ran his lips over my knuckles which I noted had turned pale as understanding slowly dawned on me.

His gaze did not break away from mine as he kissed my hand, and neither did it when he straightened up and flashed a brilliant smile my way.

"Good evening, milady." He spoke. His voice was rich and toned; deep and clearly shows his full-grown adulthood. It was charismatic even. "My name is Atobe Keigo and welcome, to Club Prism."

My mouth fell open as it finally hit me where my friends had taken me.

This was a host club.

---

I was now seated at one of the black sofas, with all these men gathered around me.

I felt…imprisoned.

Aya and the others were all on one side of the sofa, standing and not sitting with me; leaving me to deal with a group of men that can make girls envious. They were calmly sipping away at beer and wine while I suffer from claustrophobia, made worse with the fact that the walls were walls of beautiful males.

These entire male looked down at me, all of them adorned in different attires but they were all dressed formally to some point and elegantly. The one named Atobe Keigo, wore a dark purple suit left undone, with a button up shirt underneath, the top two unbuttoned. On any other person, it would look gaudy but it suited him and accentuated his hair and eyes. A necklace with a blue gem hung loosely around his neck.

My eyes this time slowly trailed one male to the other, starting from the end of the line. They all looked beautiful and it made remembering each one difficult for the next one would be just as stunning and blow the image of the previous away from my mind. However, when my eyes stopped on one particular male, the one which my eyes lingered on for a millisecond longer previously, my mouth fell open as an "Oh" of surprise left my mouth.

He stared back at me, eyes amused and a smirk in place.

But before I could even say anything about him, the Atobe Keigo spoke once again, this time directing his words towards Aya first.

"So, she's the birthday girl here, Yunami-hime?" He addressed, voice fluid. Aya nodded as she smirked into her wine glass. "Yes, she is, Atobe-san."

Atobe looked at me once again, the eyes of all the men behind him following suit. I tried to look anywhere but at any of them as I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, even though the sofa was one of the most sinfully soft seat I had ever sat on.

Before Atobe could speak, another man stepped up next to him, serene eyes finding mine eventually. His dark blue suit with a white shirt underneath and black tie matched his indigo blue hair. He chuckled softly and his velvet voice echoed around the room.

"I'm Yukimura Seiichi." He introduced, bowing slightly as he did so. "May I ask for your name, Miss?"

Somebody shoot me right now before I die of beauty overdose.

"I-Ishimaru Kumiko…"I answered shyly feeling my face burn scarlet. To the side, I could hear Asuka laughing sadistically, quietly to herself.

"Ishimaru-san is it?" Yukimura smiled. He then turned to Atobe. "Seeing as this is the dear friend of one of our regular customers, and a darling one at that, let's make sure we give her a warm welcome." He said in his ever soft tranquil voice.

Atobe raised an eyebrow at Yukimura. "Ahn? What are you talking about Yukimura? Our welcomes are always ever gracious no matter to who." He turned around to address the other…..hosts.

"But since she's turning 18 today, which is a really special day as you all know; let's take our welcome to a higher level." He declared, arms spreading to his side. He turned to a dark skinned man who stood at the end of the line. He was in a black suit this time but had a cloth draped over one arm. Despite being bald, he had this powerful aura around him as well and that made him almost up to par with the other gorgeous males.

"Jackal, get out the champagne and glasses~ We'll be having a 6 story tower today." Atobe ordered Jackal, whom I now figured out was the bartender most likely.

Asuka choked on her beer for a moment. "What?! We didn't ask for a champagne tower!" She exclaimed astounded. Even Aya and the other to had wide eyes.

My face was only confused. Champagne tower? What was that?

I turned to face the male whom approached me, upon seeing my confused features. Actually, I noticed he was already lingering there when all the other dispersed to prepare or whatever it is they had to do. He stopped across from me in his black suit, which was left to flare out unlike Yukimura's which were buttoned up with a tie tucked in. A stunning red dress shirt with the two top buttons undone, similar to Atobe, contrasted his dark suit. He had a black tie placed on loosely to finish off the elegant yet casual image.

"It's a fountain of sorts, where we stack glasses on top of each other and pour champagne down it. They usually cost a lot, and 6 stories can sometimes amount up to 1,000,000 yen depending on the champagne brand. But I'm guessing Atobe is having this on the house this time."

I looked up at him and my mouth went slack for a moment again. "Y-you?" I whispered disbelievingly.

He smirked. "Didn't think to see you again." A chuckle escaped his lips.

Those pale lavender eyes and attention-grabbing mop of hair and all too familiar voice. It was the same man from the department store.

"Marui Bunta." He introduced himself, carefully reaching over the white table and took one of my hands, placing a fleeting kiss upon it. "At your service~"

I stared at him with wide eyes, my mouth still in that same slacked position. His other hand reached over and lightly placed themselves under my chin, pushing it up gently; consequently closing my mouth.

"A beautiful girl such as yourself will attract bad wolves if you leave it hanging open like that; it tempts them you know." He teased. I flushed scarlet and my first instinct was to pull my hand back but he held it in place; firm yet gentle.

"You're a-!" I choked out.

He laughed. "Is it that hard to believe?" He asked.

"N-No…not really just…." I trailed off, not knowing what I wanted to say. This was just….new to me I guess.

He smiled at my uncertainty and nervousness. "This is your first time right?"

I nodded meekly, not daring to look into his eyes. I felt him lightly tug my hand, causing me to look over. His eyes held that same amusement which I always find in it, but the liveliness had toned to a milder level.

"Then we'll have to make sure you have the greatest time ever, wont we?" He asked, though I doubted the question was directed at me. I realized several of the other men in the room were paying attention to our conversation as well, and they all smirked, some smiled, and nodded at Marui's open-ended question.

Marui indicated to me with a light swing of his head to the side, to head towards the other side of the club room. Hesitantly, I stood from the sofa seat which I felt most comfortable in right now.

As I walked around the table, Marui's hand still holding onto mine, I was suddenly assaulted from the side by a force which pushed me back down onto the couch.

"Yea!!!And it's your 18th birthday too! I remember my 18th birthday! It was a blast so you should have blast too!!" A hyper voice cheered into my ears.

I found myself staring into brown orbs, and light copper hair brushed my face. My heart rate shot through the healthy zone as I noticed the proximity of this new person to me, and that his body was melded much too closely into mine.

Where's the person who promised to shoot me?!

He was suddenly lifted off me by Marui, who was frowning. "Akutagawa, what did Atobe say about personal space and respect? You're going to get it from him again if you keep assaulting customers."

Jirou looked at Marui with guilt ridden eyes. "But I only do it to people I like…and Kumiko-chan is just so adorable I couldn't help it!" He exclaimed, waving his hands around like a kid. His attire was similar to Marui, only his suit was a deep ocean blue with an orange dress shirt, which had darker orange and white stripes going it. He didn't wear a tie but he had the same gem as Atobe, only a magenta color.

Another voice came from behind the two men; this one deeper than both Marui and Jirou's and had a slight accent to it. I saw a man with long deep blue hair which brushed his shoulders and wore glasses. But the glasses did not hamper his appearance and if possible, it made him all the more attractive, seductive even.

"I'm sure Jirou meant no harm by it, and the Kumiko-hime has not been hurt either, so all is well, isn't it?" He concluded to both Marui and Jirou, not before flashing a seductive smirk my way. "Unless of course, if Kumiko-hime here actually had been hurt, then we'll have to take responsibility."

Jirou turned to me alarmed. "Eh?!! Kumiko-chan!! I didn't hurt you did I?!"

I stood from my seat once again, shaking my head at Jirou. "No, I'm not hurt." I smiled at him, finding it hard to get mad at him. If it was any other person, I know I would have said some rude things by now. But for some reason, Jirou's personality just makes any anger I think I ever had (if I had any) at him disperse.

The blue haired male from before stepped up to me, and I now took note that his attire was different. This one wore a white t-shirt which clung to his toned figure lightly and over it, a dark moss green business-type jacket. It gave him that same elegant and formal look but it was still casual enough for him to walk out onto the streets of Tokyo like that and not stand out; though his looks would have gained him attention anyways.

He took my hand and like the ones before him, kissed it. "My name is Oshitari Yuushi, but please, I would love it if you called me Yuushi." He purred casually. My eyes went slightly wide at his request.

Call him by his first name? I hardly knew the man!

A cough from the side pulled my attention away from this sinfully delicious person in front of me who just pulled a shocking request.

Another male with red-hair that was a darker color's than Marui's, close to magenta, stood. His eyes were a brilliant mahogany which had a look of slight amusement and annoyance in it. "That's just Yuushi for you. Don't mind him, Kumiko-chan." He said as he turned to me.

Oshitari straightened himself up, but he kept his hold on my hand. "Oi Gakuto, just-" He was cut off when Gakuto stepped right in front of him, facing me, and as a result, forced Oshitari to release my hand which he instantly took instead. "Mukahi Gakuto," he murmured before kissing it as well.

I swear the number of kisses I was getting is beyond the indicated healthy number for a girl.

Behind him, Oshitari frowned. Pushing his glasses up, he scoffed softly before smiling at me. "I'm terribly sorry for the lack of manners of my partners, Kumiko-hime." He started as Gakuto turned around to face him with an indignant look.

Oshitari quickly darted his eyes over to Gakuto, which were set in a small glare. "I'll be sure to report it to Atobe, especially Jirou's act towards you."

And behind him, Jirou let out a 'yeep' of sorts.

"Ah-…I-It's okay, Oshitari-san….Akutagawa-san didn't hurt me and neither did Mukahi-san…"

"Yea! What did I do other than pay my respects to her?"

"I thought you said I didn't hurt her so it was fine?!"

I watched as Oshitari casually draped an arm over each male's shoulder, and lead them away towards Atobe who was by the bar, talking away with Aya, Rinko, Yura and Asuka.

I heard Marui laugh as I looked over at him, worry evident in my eyes. "Aren't you going to do anything…?"

Marui shook his head, still chuckling. "Worst Oshitari can do is to steal all their customers, but he wont. It's against company rules."

"Rules?" I echoed. I didn't know host clubs had rules.

Marui smiled. "Yes." Seeing my confusion, he elaborated as he slipped an arm around my waist and started to bring me around. "It's your first visit to a host club so I'm not surprised you don't know. But there are rules we go by, host clubs and hostess clubs alike. But it differs from one club to another. Some clubs do not mind if a customer changes hosts every night or maybe even every hour. But ours work by an eternal nomination system."

"Eternal nomination system?" I repeated again, finding this term quite….fancy and bombastic.

Marui nodded. "That's where the customer after their first visit or so, will nominate a host, you can say. After nominating a host, the customer is not allowed to change hosts anymore unless a special situation calls for it, which you must discuss with the club about first."

I tilted my head to the side, not understanding. "But why do that anyway? Won't it hurt business?" I was so taken by these rules that I did not even feel nervous about his arm around my waist.

Marui smiled at me, his eyes glinting amusedly. "Hosts have feelings too you know. Don't you think we'll feel like trash if a customer 'dumps' us right after the first night?" He asked me.

I looked down at the floor, feeling my cheeks color again. "You're right I guess…"

"Atobe takes the feelings of hosts and customers alike seriously. This is actually a sticky business we're in." Marui spoke before another voice came in.

"Surprisingly enough! I never knew that guy to be such a deep thinker anyways."

I turned to find two more males approaching, one with short brown hair and similar brown eyes; the other with a mop of brilliant silver hair and golden brown orbs.

Internally, I sighed. More beautiful men. I wonder if I was starting to pale in comparison of beauty yet? I think I already lost on the first round with Atobe….

"Don't say that, Shishido-san. I'm sure you had always respected Atobe-san…" The silver haired one said in a soft, hesitant voice. I assumed that the brown haired, Shishido, was the one who made the comment earlier then.

Shishido rolled his eyes but still gave me a small smile anyways. Somehow, I had the feeling he didn't want to give that smile but did it because it was his job…..I don't know. Maybe it's just me being pessimistic again.

"Yea, sure…whatever you say Choutarou." Shishido spoke offhandedly.

Choutarou just shook his head before smiling at me shyly, a hand nervously rubbing the back of his head. "I'm Ootori Choutarou, and this is Shishido Ryou, Ishimaru-san." He bowed. "Pleased to meet you."

I felt compelled to bow in return at his politeness and cuteness. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Ootori-san, Shishido-san." I replied, giving a tiny smile.

"Yea…but honestly, this _is_ a sticky business." Shishido agreed with Marui, hands stuffed into the pockets of his black slacks. He didn't wear any dress shirt; he just wore a black long-sleeved suit with a low V-collar which revealed his rippling muscles on his chest. He also wore a silver chain with an orange gem, much like the one Jirou and Atobe had.

Ootori on the other hand had a similar suit as Shishido's, but evening blue instead and he wore a button up shirt underneath it which was a dark ocean blue color. The top two buttons were undone as usual which showed his collarbone, and he had the collar up. Kumiko didn't think Ootori would dress as such, he seemed like such a modest man, so most likely the other hosts here had coerced him or something into dressing as so.

"Sometimes, we get women who are facing emotional problems either with their husbands or spouses, you know? And they are so unstable that we have to deal with them carefully without stepping over the line. Women and girls like that usually crave attention; and our job as hosts is to give attention. But we can't have them confusing our work with _actual_ interest." Shishido shrugged. "Some of the people we get are interesting and that naturally peaks ours as well, but it's easy to confuse work interest, common interest, curiosity interest, and love interest." Shishido went on as I listened attentively.

I didn't think that being a host was such a tough job. I thought all they ever did was flirt with girls and get laid. Well, not literally get laid….maybe…I don't know…I heard stories that some hosts sleep with their customers….maybe not them…..whatever. I was confusing myself.

Marui's voice cut in on my thoughts then. "But back to the original topic, naturally if you are to ever come back here again, you would have to pick one of us to be your host." He informed me, staring at my face to try and gauge my thoughts.

I stared at my hands, playing with the belt around my waist nervously. "I don't know…" I muttered under my breath, sure that they did not hear my answer. I wasn't sure if I wanted to come back. I have enough social problems as it is with my friends! How can I open up to….hosts?!

Ootori noticed my hesitation and nervousness I supposed, which is why he placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "We won't force you to come back of course," He laughed. "Though please do not think badly of us….we aren't exactly those…prostitute type of people…." He said softly, chuckling nervously at this touchy subject. "Think of us more like a harbor, or pillar. Someone who will listen to you when needed, when no one else can do it…"

"Yea, we don't even charge for entrance! Only drinks," A new voice laughed.

I didn't see the new person as I was still focused on Ootori's intense eyes. Why is it that I feel like he's reading right through my soul?

"Sometimes, friends don't exactly fall back for you. That's what hosts are here for, at least, that's what I believe. We talk to you and listen when no one else does, we even flirt if you're feeling lonely," Ootori laughed at an attempt to ease me which was working. "And there's so many of us here, surely one or more will always be available for you to fall back on. And surely, any customer would have peaked the interest of at least one of us, which will ensure their sincerity….I think." Ootori finished, scratching his chin cutely in doubt.

I couldn't help but giggle, the nervousness I felt flickering away from my stomach.

A burden on one of my shoulders made me look over to find Marui leaning onto me with his arms. A bubblegum was being blown by him as he winked at me. Popping it, he said, "We're like packable friends, you know. Take us out when you need us and put us away when you don't."

"That's a bleak way to put." That new voice came again.

"Hey, don't doubt my genius Niou." Marui retorted.

I looked at this Niou person. He had striking silver hair similar to Ootori and mischievous blue eyes. A black band held his long hair into a low ponytail, which draped over one of his shoulders. He wore a similar attire to Ootori, only a black shirt underneath with a loose white tie.

This new man just screamed sensuality from every single fiber of his being.

His pace was slow and deliberate as he moved towards me, intense blue eyes focused on mine. I found myself unable to hold his gaze any longer if I wanted to keep my sanity, so I averted it and chose to look at the porcelain floor instead.

My reflection stared back up at me from underneath, and I saw Niou's reflection as well, right in front of mine. He too was looking down at the floor, and speaking to me while looking at my reflection; it was as if he's communicating to my reflection instead.

"Though, it's true in a way." He shrugged nonchalantly before smirking at me. I saw his reflection's hand move and suddenly, I felt cool hands on mine. I looked up as he brought it to his lips, giving me the standard greeting most of the hosts here had done; a kiss on the hand. "However, it will be heartbreaking if you don't come back again…" He said in a low voice, sapphire eyes staring into mine.

I heard my own heart thudding away at a fast pace as crimson once again colored my face. Dear Gods, are you sure that Aya and the others didn't kill me during my birthday and I was actually in a heaven of some sort now?

But I destroyed that train of thought later on. What was I thinking? This was their job. They are only showing even remote interest because I was a customer. If it was in any other situation, I bet they would have ignored me like a fly.

These were no ordinary men talking to me.

They were especially trained to seduce and flirt, to make a girl feel wanted.

A whistle gained my attention and I found Asuka off to one side with Aya grinning. Each had a bottle of beer in their hands.

"Woot~ You're a big hit here, Kumiko-chan!" Aya said as she approached, eyes wiggling at me. I shot her an annoyed look.

"Yea, I know. When I first came here, I only ever got the voluntary attention of two! And here you are, with four men around you and God knows how many before this." Asuka added teasingly, feigning hurt.

Niou closed his eyes and smirked, before slipping his arm around my waist. "Of course that's the case Chiyoko-hime~puri." Niou purred at Asuka before grabbing my chin and turning me towards him. "Kumiko-hime here, unlike you, is quite an angel."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Asuka glare at Niou for that comment before she huffed and smirked. "That's understandable. I'm much too devilish for _any_ men to handle anyways."

Beside me, Marui crossed his arms and gave a small pout. "That's just painful Chiyoko-san. Really painful."

"Did it hurt your pride?"

"I think it'd hurt the pride of all men." Ootori laughed, once again in an attempt to break the sizzling atmosphere. He could just feel it! If this did not end, it would not go well. Even I felt the atmosphere here tense. Asuka had one heck of a pride for a girl, that it can match any male ego. Put her together with the wrong male and it'd be raining cats and dogs soon.

"Niou even addresses Kumiko-chan by her first name…" I heard Aya whisper to Asuka.

Asuka gave a small snort before pulling me away from Niou. "Bout time you got your alcohol ridden hands away from my friend~"Asuka jested, though I think she meant the comment to be harmful.

Niou raised both his hands, in the universal sign for surrender. "Got it…for now only though." He winked at me, making me flush and look away.

Overdose of men…too hot, too hot, too hot, too hot-!I'm just a normal girl, damn it!

A snap of someone's fingers brought all our attention to the center of the room. Atobe stood there with one hand raised, a knowing smirk on his face as he found my eyes. Next to him stood Jackal and several other people I have yet to meet; Oshitari and Jirou were there as well, the latter with an excited look on his face.

"Ishimaru-hime," He started and I felt obliged to keep my eyes on him this time. "Will you do us the honor?"

Together, they stepped away to reveal a 7 tower made of glass wine cups placed onto a table draped with a white cloth. I felt my jaw drop. Around the tower were several bottles of champagne….an expensive brand to boot.

Was Marui sure about this being on the house? Because I know I would be working the rest of my life off trying to pay the bill this champagne tower would surely cost; in addition to all the bottles.

Aya better have the money because I'm not going to be generous today.

I was dragged to the table by an enthused Asuka and positioned before the tower; eyes still wide with disbelief. This was going to be the most expensive birthday I will ever have and had.

Jackal walked up to me and handed me a bottle of champagne, the cork already taken off. I held the bottle gingerly in my arms, afraid I will break it wit my clumsy hands.

Atobe then snapped his fingers again. "Champagne call!" He said, his strong voice carrying around the room.

Immediately, the other males who weren't with me and not at the table previously all came from wherever they were (I didn't take notice as I was too busy trying to keep calm in the midst of handsome men) and stood around the table.

I gulped, not liking the looks of this. There were a lot of people here. And a lot of people are bad news for me. That means I would become nervous. And when I became nervous, bad things happen. I felt someone pat my shoulder and I turned to see Yura's comforting face.

I calmed slightly. Yura would make sure I did not make a laughing stock of myself….I hope.

"Champagne call?" I asked in a soft voice to Asuka beside me. Atobe heard and answered instead.

"When someone buys a bottle of champagne, we have a champagne call. You can say it's a bit like a celebration since champagnes are usually expensive. This one you're holding costs 9300[1] yen alone." He said with a smirk which only grew wider as my eyes grew wider.

9300 yen!!!? And that did not include the 5 other bottles!! Someone, PLEASE, shoot me!!

I turned to stared wide-eyed at Aya and Asuka who grinned sheepishly at me. Didn't I told them nothing grand?!

"Don't worry Ishimaru-hime," Atobe gained my attention again. "It's on the house."

"On the house?" I squeaked. He better not be pulling my leg. 46000+ yen was no joke. It's too much for my young and maimed heart to handle such a joke.

Oshitari spoke up from next to Atobe. "Had the name Atobe not chimed a bell in you, Kumiko-hime?" He asked, amusement lacing his voice. I shook my head, my eyes remaining as wide as saucers.

Atobe flicked his hair then. "Arn~ My name did not mean anything to you? Maa, it doesn't matter. I can forgive such a sinful act since it's you."

I stared at him. What has me got to do with forgiveness?

He turned to everyone around the table. "What should we do in celebration of her birthday and this champagne call then?" He asked, open for any suggestions.

Jirou instantly jumped up, waving his hand and nearly knocking over one expensive bottle of champagne on the table. "Ooh! Oooh!! Let's do-" He was cut off by Gakuto before he could even voice his opinion.

"No, we did that last time." Gakuto said nonchalantly as if a bottle of champagne is bought by customers regularly. This place must have rich regulars. I certainly was not one.

Jirou pouted and I couldn't help the small smile that crept onto my face. He was such an adorable person despite his age.

"Why don't we let Kumiko-chan decide what she wants to do?" Marui's voice came in.

I looked at the red-haired male, his lavender eyes capturing my gaze. I stared into his ethereal orbs from across the table, feeling entranced. The champagne bottle would have slip from my loosening grip if not for Atobe's hand on my shoulder breaking the trance I was in.

I looked up at his figure, once again feeling inferior in height (I reached to the base of his neck) and possibly aesthetics as well.

"Yes, why don't you decide what we do?" He agreed with Marui, amusement tracing his features at my baffled expression.

"Umm…" I mused, not even sure what people do at champagne calls. I felt everyone's gaze on me, from every single direction. Back, front, left, right, northwest, northeast…

Yura came to my rescue before I hyperventilated.

"Why not give her sometime to think it over? We can do the activity last and drink the champagne first." She voiced. I silently thanked the heavens to give me a friend like her.

Atobe nodded in compliance. He held one hand out the side, and Jackal placed a wet cloth into it. Yura pulled on my arm and I looked at her.

"It's tradition for the champagne buyer, or receiver in your case, to drink the champagne first, straight from the bottle. After that, it's passed around for everyone to drink from." She informed me once again. I stared at her, waiting for her to crack up laughing.

She didn't.

"Wait….what?" I stammered. "I never drank anything with alcohol in it before!" I quickly said. I didn't want my first time tasting alcohol to be in front of a group of gorgeous men. I was sure I was bound to get drunk on the very first few drop and do something foolish.

Aya grinned from beside Asuka. "Which is why there's a first time for everything! It's your first time turning 18(obviously), first time at a host club, first time seeing a champagne tower and now, it's going to be your first time drinking alcohol! And expensive alcohol too!! I didn't even get red wine for my 18th birthday…" she added as an afterthought. I stared at her wondering if her words were supposed to be comforting.

Aya caught my gaze and appeared hurt for a moment.

Suddenly, I felt guilty. Guilty that I wasn't appreciating what my friends were doing for me. I bet it had cost them a lot, either financially or time wise, to arrange this birthday for me. How much college aged people in the world actually give the effort to take their friends to a host club? The idea usually wouldn't even cross their minds as host clubs are usually so expensive.

But here we are, at Club Prism, a VERY expensive host club and my friends even got me a champagne tower amounting up to 46000 yen in the package. It must have taken them a lot of effort to either cough up that money or convince the Club to give it to them for free.

And I wasn't even appreciating it.

I should be shot honestly….for being a terrible friend.

Not only that, it's my 18th birthday for God's sake! I should at least give an effort to not be a pessimistic hag and enjoy it! If not for my sake, then for my friends.

As Atobe looked at me, waiting for me to make the first move, I decided then.

With a determined glare at the champagne bottle, which drew several laughter from the people around ( I probably looked like a pouting kid whom the bottle sinned), I lifted it to my lips.

I was going to make my birthday a drunken one if I have to!

My head tilted back as the bittersweet liquid pulsed down my throat. I felt a few streams of the high-class substance slipping down my chin. But a wet cloth held underneath it caught all of it, letting none get on my dress. I noted that it was held by Atobe.

Cheers and claps erupted around the table, the loudest coming from Aya's screams, as I noticed that I had down more than a quarter of the bottle already. I found that I actually liked the taste of the champagne. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be…

I was forced to stop drinking as Aya pulled the bottle downwards and away from my lips, but still held in my hand. She looked at me, with exalted happiness and slight surprise that I actually did it. I smiled back at her.

She grinned but my vision of her was suddenly blocked by a familiar figure. "Me next!!" Jirou cheered. "I want Kumiko-chan to hold the cloth for me."

At the corner of my eyes, I saw Atobe roll his eye. "Be patient Jirou."

I laughed, a strange feeling bubbling in the pit of my stomach. I realized with hidden surprise that I was actually starting to enjoy myself. "It's alright, Atobe-san." I took the cloth from him and handed the bottle to Jirou, who took it with childish excitement.

I had an inkling this host's selling point would be his cute and outspoken personality.

I held the clothe to his chin as I looked at him with entertained eyes. "Are you ready, Akutagawa-_chan_?" This joy that was coursing through my body gave me a new confidence which was unfamiliar to me. But I didn't think about it right now.

I was enjoying myself and that's all that mattered for now.

Jirou pouted. "Don't call me _chan_, Kumiko-chan!" he cried childishly.

Gakuto huffed and crossed his arms several people down. "Just drink it already! I want my turn!"

Jirou did so without argument. He tipped the bottle up, and I watched through the dark tinted bottle as the dull crimson liquid flowed down and slowly emptied. I felt the cloth soak more with the burning liquid, dyeing it a dull maroon.

Once again, the cheers went around and they encouraged Jirou to drink more though I could see he will stagger soon; a faint red was starting to stain his cheeks. This was a pretty strong drink here.

Suddenly, for some reason, I felt the urge to look to the side and when I did, I caught Marui's intense gaze. He wasn't clapping or cheering like his cohorts. He was just standing there, arms crossed, and staring at me.

Once again, I felt myself pulled into his gaze and the cheers around me drowned away as all I could focus on was his eyes; his lavender eyes.

They were so bright and dancing with life, windows that showed the type of life he led; a life filled with adventure.

Unlike mine.

In my eyes, I knew he could only see dull, dark orbs; a normal brown unlike his unique purple. I knew mine reflected nothing. I didn't have anything special in my life and my friends were few; hence I did not have a new adventure everyday. My life was routine- Wake up, to college, home, work, studies and repeat. Only gloom can possibly be traced within mine.

Jirou shifting broke my gaze with Marui, to my displeasure, but I gave my attention to Jirou anyways. He finally took the bottle away from his lips and laughter went about as he staggered slightly. Instinctively, I held onto his arm to support him, pressing the cloth to his chin to wipe away any remnants of champagne.

The bottle was passed around the circle again.

**[1] 1000+ USD.**

**Reviews~  
**


	3. Returning

**Hrrum...this story doesnt seem very popular=/ I was wondering what you guys think of it so far....;_;**

**

* * *

**

The night dragged on, but Club Prism was still dancing with life. Despite the lights in the other skyscrapers turning off, the one Club Prism was located in remained lit.

I stared out at the night sky, where the stars were dimmed out by the glowing city lights. Behind me, laughter was ringing ever on and more, as I heard Asuka scream several lines of profanity before her voice is silenced again….probably by another bottle of beer.

The initial excitement I had when the champagne call started had died out somewhat, probably because of the wine I had drank so much of. I could slightly feel them dimming my senses and calming my nerves; a depressant drug indeed.

Maroon flickered in the glass, and I turned to find Marui, a glass of golden liquid in his hand, and another glass of pink fizzy liquid in his other. This he offered to me.

I looked down at it questioningly, not really adventurous enough to go drink anything people offer me.

"It's champagne, only a different type." Marui provided when he saw that I wasn't going to take it without an explanation.

"Thank you…" I mumbled, taking the glass and sniffing the liquid lightly. Finding the smell that wafted to my nose pleasing, I took a sip.

Marui took a place next to me by the large glass windows and leant against it, taking a drink of his own. The warm liquid disappeared fast from the glass, draining into his throat smoothly and I watched in wonder, not understanding how they could drink so much so fast.

Marui noticed my gaze from the corner of his eye and smirked. "It's tolerance. Our bodies build a tolerance against the alcohol after sometime, so I can take more drinks."

I frowned. "It's not good for your health though…right?"

"Nope, it isn't." He grinned. "Better than tobacco anyways." He nodded in the direction of Niou, who was taking a drag from a cigarette. But Atobe came over not long later, a frown engraved on his smooth features, and Niou sighed dejectedly before snuffing out the stub.

I looked over to Marui for clarification.

"It's against club rules to smoke."

I mouthed an 'O', before returning my gaze to the city. A chuckle beside me caused to me to turn towards the source again.

"Yura just beat Jackal at making drinks." Marui laughed out when he saw my questioning stare, and pointed over to the bar. I looked over my shoulder to find Yura standing next to Jackal at the island counter, several glasses of cocktails laid out in front of her. Jackal, too, had cocktails laid before him, though the number pales in comparison to Yura's. "Seems like Yura-chan has the potential to be a hostess, or a bar maid at least."

I stared at Marui appalled. Sweet Yura a bar maid? A hostess?! Not ever, if I can help it.

Marui noticed my glare and appalled face, then shrugged. I ignored him after that, taking slight insult from his comment about my friend. I didn't know if he was still there beside me or not, but I just continued to stare out the window stiffly, feeling like an outsider in my own birthday party.

It was hard for me to actually mingle with people. I did not have the experience. Aya's previous hurt might have caused a sudden burst in confidence, and the champagne helped. But its not working now anymore. It seemed to be a short-term confidence, unfortunately.

"You don't talk much, do you?" Marui's voice came up from beside me once again.

I glanced at him, then took a sip of my drink. "Don't feel like it."

I could see him roll his eyes from his reflection on the window. :It's your birthday to boot. Don't be such a cold angel." He grinned.

Cold….yea, that's the word that I know best. I'm cold.

I tensed and my voice nearly spat at him, but I held it in, knowing it was not his fault I was some 18-year old going 50 with sticks up my backside.

"Any particular reason why you're giving me the cold shoulder?" His persistent voice came again.

"I'm not."

"Hm, really…" His voice revealed his doubt.

I turned to face him, feeling slightly irritated despite the champagne making my head a little fuzzy. "What do you want?" I demanded, wanting to know why he was being a pesky pretty fly around me, when there were other _prettier_ targets around the room; not including the male gender.

He smiled, and a breathless sound left my throat and lips when his larger, smooth hands took hold of mine. His ever-lavender eyes found my dark brown and I felt that same feeling of captivation. "I'm trying to do my job."

And he pulled me with him, champagne glasses to be left forgotten for the rest of the night on the glass table we passed, out the door and into the elevator.

***

Out of the corner of her eye, Asuka saw Marui leaving the room with Kumiko, and she snorted before taking another large swig of her beer. She heard Niou 'tsk' from somewhere, muttering about her un-ladylike behaviors. But she rolled her eyes, not giving a damn what that silver-head thought about her.

Yura approached from the bar, leaving behind a disappointed Jackal, who was staring forlornly at his hands whilst Yukimura patted him on the shoulders.

"I feel kinda bad now….maybe I shouldn't have taken it too seriously…." Yura confessed guiltily, throwing glances over her shoulder at Jackal. Her family ran a restaurant back in her hometown, and she used to help in making the 'teen' drinks when she was still living there. Teen drinks as in things such as mocktails, special smoothies and snow drinks and the occasional cocktails. Yura's face suddenly took a change, as something slowly sunk in and she looked around the room.

"Where's Kumiko-chan?"

Asuka shrugged again and was about to take another swipe at her beer before a hand gently took it out of her hands. She looked up to see Yura with her beer, shaking her head. "Too much Asuka."

Asuka's shoulders slumped. A smirk suddenly came onto her face. " I wont tell you where Kumiko is then."

"……….."

***

Marui took me up to the roof of the building, and when I stepped out onto the spacious area, a cold rush of wind instantly swept me, blowing my hair back and causing my dress to flutter. I took slow tentative steps forward, wary of the height I'm at, and cautious of the lack of railings which can result in me falling over and splattering like an egg on the ground easily.

I watched as Marui took in a deep breath and stretched, giving a satisfied "Ah~" as he did so. I quirked an eyebrow as he relaxed and turned to look to at me, a cattish grin on his face.

"_I feel more relaxed up here. Thought it might work for you too."_

I jolted from my slumber as my alarm went off, the imitated sound of a cat meowing emitting from the cat-shaped clock. With a dejected sigh, I turned it off and dragged myself to the bathroom of my small apartment, getting ready for my day ahead.

Its been two days since my 18th birthday, two days since I was taken to Club Prism and introduced to all those gorgeous males; to Marui Bunta.

I didn't understand it, or rather, I didn't want to understand possibly, why I could never forget about his eyes. His glittering lavender eyes full of jovial life.

Its only been two days I know, but the number of times that I thought about him were clearly unhealthy. During breakfast, during lunch, dinner, showers, class, homework etc I kept only seeing those orbs of his behind my eyes!

It was frustrating. Mainly because I never thought about a single male so much before.

Slipping my shirt on, I sifted off my constant thoughts about him to the side (again), and dictated that it was because he paid a lot of attention to me (in my opinion) that night, which caused my constant thoughts about him; because no male paid that much attention to me before.

Next to people like Aya, it was really easy to overlook me. And Aya had been with me for a long time, so I was used to being shadowed. But I never hated or blamed Aya. She deserved all the attention she got. I didn't because I didn't earn or even give myself any.

The day slipped away as I spent my usual hours in class, listening to the teacher drone on about the value of art pieces, wishing that he'd just finish so that I can quell my itching hand by picking up a pencil and letting it fly over the pages of my sketchbook. I shifted in my seat, feeling my back ache from the past 2 hours of sitting, then relaxed and closed my eyes to rest it for a moment.

I saw lavender again before my eyes snapped open, the bell signaling the end of class.

"So I want 3 pieces of work from you when you return from spring break: a photograph, a digital painting, and a canvas painting." The teacher chimed cheerfully, snapping his briefcase close. The class murmured back a "yes" accompanied by moans and groans, before the students started shuffling out in excited whispers of the coming break.

I sighed and took my place by them, eager to get out and start on my work.

I heard my name being called as I shuffled along in the hallway, before a hand tapped my shoulder. I turned to find Rinko, with a bag slung over her shoulders.

"Kumiko-chan, me and some girls are planning to go out tomorrow night to celebrate the start of spring break. You think you can come?" She invited, eyes cheerful and hopeful that I would accept.

I looked at her and thought about my options for a bit. "Where are you guys planning to go?"

"We're heading down to Esplanet Club, just for fun and stuffs."

I knew that club. Nothing harmful really. But the party and mingling atmosphere….just doesn't sit with me. I'd probably end up sitting all alone while they are off with newly picked partners.

I shifted on my foot, shaking my head. "Nah, I'd rather get started on the work tomorrow. I probably wont be much fun at night after working the day off. You guys have fun." I waved my hand airily to show that it didn't matter and I didn't really mind.

Although I DID mind….I wasn't going to be a part of their memories in the future when they think back on their college life; a stage of life where it was all about new things and experiences, new adventures. I wasn't going to be a part of their memories because I was too chicken to hang out, my own insecurities ruling me.

But I didn't mind that much…if that makes sense.

Because I wont be making a fool of myself, I wont have the chance at any given moment; and I wont have the shameful thought of it for my lifetime.

Rinko's smiled turned upside down and she sighed. "Alright then. I really wanted you to come though…"

"I'll call if I reconsider."

She nodded, waving a bye before striking out at another student and inviting them along as well.

I made my way back to my apartment, after spending several hours in the college art storage, and entering the lonely abode. I couldn't be bothered to get the light switch, and instead satisfied myself with the red glow of the setting sun filtering through my windows.

I set my bag down, and took a quick shower before I felt the exhaustion hit me. I plopped onto my bed, feeling the mattress sink beneath me. I turned my face to the side and onto the soft pillows, and stared out the window at the vermillion sky.

But all I see is lavender.

***

Sunlight hits my face, and I automatically roll out of bed and freshen up.

I make myself some simple breakfast, downing it slowly in morbid silence in my empty kitchen alone.

After that, I retreated back into my room and worked on my art pieces….at least, _tried_ to.

I was in a total block. I sat there for hours, nothing coming to mind and not a single drop of inspiration hitting me.

I got up and changed, leaving the apartment and taking a short walk around the area, trying to find a source of inspiration.

I returned to the apartment after that, still inspiration-less. Flipping through the various channels, my mind did not concentrate on the program and when evening rolled around, I made myself dinner before sitting at my desk again for another couple of hours before curling in bed.

This was my routine for the first few days of spring break.

I felt terrible. I felt so lonely. Yet, I didn't want to go to those nasty clubs.

It was 3 days into spring break, and I'm laying in my bed at home again. Aya and the rest are out at another party. I was invited but opted not to go. I wouldn't fit in.

I sat up in my bed, and just sat there, feeling the slightly cooled sunlight hit my skin. The bright scarlet sky had turned into a deeper crimson by the time I decided to get up and change into something presentable yet comfortable.

I grabbed several of my art pencils and my sketch pad and left the apartment.

Down at the pavement, I just walked, without any real destination in mind. My sketch pad was clutched loosely in my hands, my pencils jingling around in the wide front pockets of my skirt (the skirt reminded me of a kangaroo honestly, what with its pouch attached to the front of the skirt).

I didn't know how long I walked, it didn't feel very long honestly, before I heard a voice calling.

I turned to the side and saw a slightly elderly man, standing by his taxi car.

"Can I drive you anywhere…?" He asked. His voice shook and his bleary eyes looked out at me from under his white eyebrows.

I felt sorry for him. He must be pretty desperate for business to ask, since it's usually rude to call for customers. And how cruel can the taxi companies get? Sending out a old senior like him.

I smiled and nodded, not really knowing where I wanted to go as I made my way towards the taxi.

I still hadn't decided where I wanted to be taken when I opened the door and settled in.

The old man looked at me with tired eyes from his rear view mirror, as the engine started up.

I didn't know where I wanted to go, but my mouth spoke on its own accord.

***

I stood below, staring up at the tall skyscraper lighted with bright luminous light.

The taxi car had chugged off before I could turn around and ask him to take me somewhere else.

I didn't want to be here. Or rather, I didn't need to be here.

I sighed, not knowing what to do. I looked around, in hopes of another taxi. It was too far a distance for me to walk back, and it was getting late.

I frowned and checked my watch.

_9:3__0pm._

"A miss like you shouldn't be out alone on the streets at this time." A hand on my shoulder elicited a yelp from me, and I swirled around, hands preparing to whack my sketch pad onto the face of whoever spoke and touched me, hoping to make it a flat surface by the time I was done.

But I stopped, when I saw amused ocean blue eyes staring at me.

"N-Niou-san?!" I breathed out, relieved and shocked at the same time. "W-what are you doing here?"

"I work here. And the question should be directed at you! Not me." Niou replied, starting with an amused voice, which turned serious at the end. His brows turned downwards, awaiting a reason for my being late out here.

"Um…I cant get home?"

Niou cocked an eyebrow. "No taxi I presume?"

I nodded sheepishly. Should have took driving lessons…

Niou sighed. "Well, we certainly cant let anything happen to you either…if you got kidnapped or something around this area, Club Prism will be tarnished."

I sweat dropped. These guys must value their reputation a lot to care about crimes occurring in their area.

Niou shrugged. "Women wouldn't come anymore if there were occasions of women being kidnapped here." He turned and started towards the glass door of the building, hand signaling for me to follow.

I stood still, confused.

Niou rolled his eyes and smirked. "It's free tonight. I'll explain to Atobe the situation. We'll take you back but you'll have to wait until our club closes."

**Reviews? =(**


	4. Challenge?

**I feel my stories are going crappy lately...especially Thunderstruck To The Core....I'm tempted to rewrite part of it....**

* * *

_"Fine Line"_

_"Ever felt that feeling of confusion before? Dont you just hate it?"  
_

_Chapter 4: Challenge...?_

* * *

It was a full house.

Women, of all ages, were crowded all over the room. There was one woman for each host at least. Some hosts, the popular ones like Atobe for example, were entertaining at least 4 women. They sat at high glass tables, smiling and laughing as Atobe charmed them with hardly any effort.

I shifted my eyes to one side of the room, and spotted Ootori…I think that was his name. He had a customer of his own, although she looked much older than he is. Probably around her mid-thirties.

She looked distressed and Ootori was calmly, kindly, talking to her, rubbing her shoulders as she pressed face in her hands.

I thought it was going to be hell when I took the elevator up with Niou. But sitting in here right now, albeit feeling out of place and awkward, it was….interesting to say the least. Watching how these men worked.

Watching the women who came in here.

How they sought comfort, entertainment, and perhaps even love from these men. I pulled my eyes away from the woman Ootori was comforting, knowing it was rude to stare. I'd also rather not have her notice my staring and have her relate it to her running make-up…Ootori might have more tears to dry if that occurred.

I looked up from my plush cushion when Niou approached in all his suave glory. I still felt my face flushing a slight pink (who wouldn't?) but it wasn't as bad as when I first met him.

"Having fun being an observer?" He joked, hinting at my constant observance of others for the past hour. "Sure you don't want to join in?" He added slyly.

The flush came back, stronger this time, as I settled my face into a glare in an attempt to pass it off as anger. "No thank you…I'm happy with my current post."

My eyes flickered back to the woman with Ootori again when out of the corner of my eye, I saw her draining her whole glass of wine in one shot.

Niou noticed my glance, and provided what I wanted to know. "Her husband's cheating on her."

I looked up to Niou, shocked, before the alarm settled in and I sank into my cushion. "Oh…"

A silence reigned between us for a moment before I spoke up again. "How does she know..?"

"Late nights, foreign perfume scent, absence from home, stray lipstick marks…quite obvious really. Its like the bastard wanted her to know on purpose." The last line shot out of Niou's mouth in a controlled fury.

I stared at him in wonder of his unfounded anger.

"People like her husband…they're quite despicable, don't you think?" He looked down at me, cool eyes capturing mine, and I couldn't look away. I felt I shouldn't.

I had no answer to his question, because I did not understand what it would be like. What it would be like to be betrayed by your loved one. Because I never had a love.

….I never fell in love.

Unable to hold his gaze any longer, I looked down at the glass of water in my hand. Atobe had graciously offered champage, or at least a glass of cocktail he said, rather than water. But I insisted. From my first and last visit here, I knew the prices of the drinks were hefty. This place did not charge by entry anyways; it charged by drinks.

Meaning the longer you stay, the more you drink. The more you drink, the more you pay.

I knew it would be free, Niou did assure me of that, but I don't think my pauper upbringing could take any more rich man's drink running through me.

"Does she come here often?" I asked softly, feeling my heart clench when I distinctly heard a soft sob coming from her direction. I don't know why, but my heart went out to her. Her cries and face was full of anguish and pain. She must have really loved the man.

"Almost every night of the week, when her husband is out visiting the other woman." Niou answered, pocketing his hands.

I nodded, not knowing what to say. But Niou continued the conversation for us.

"Ootori was the first host who went to her…probably a natural reaction on his part."

I returned my gaze to his face, not understanding what he meant by that.

Noticing my questioning eyes, he smiled. "As soon as she walked in through that door, tears running down her face, Ootori instantly went to her and took her aside. Usually we wait for the customers to pick us out….but I guess, in her case, it's already been appointed without her having to do anything or us for that matter."

"So Ootori-san appointed himself?" I asked, wondering if it's because of competition for customers.

"No, he didn't. Its second nature on his part, to help someone in need. She needed help that time, and almost every time. Someone to comfort and calm her. Ever since Ootori comforted her that first visit, she's nominated him as her host." Niou let out a satisfied huff. "Out of all of us, he's perfect for the job. Patient, kind, sensitive….he's probably the only one here who has the potential to patch up her torn heart-every single night she comes."

I gazed over at Ootori, sitting by the poor woman, in awe. He was sitting there by her, intently taking in every single word she said, and at the same time, advising her. He wasn't committing any false comfort; he was being genuine, I could tell. Rather than giving words of false kindness, he's advising her on what she should do, how she should go on.

The woman nodded weakly as Ootori spoke to her softly, giving words of guidance. Despite being young, he had a whole wealth of wisdom for his age. And yet, he's still quite innocent.

I tore my eyes away from the touching scene, and looked up at Niou. "He's a nice man." I smiled.

Niou smirked at my comment. The door to the club suddenly opened, and another young woman stepped in, outfitted in a slinky red dress that accentuated her curves. Niou noticed when she walked in, and gave her a nod before turning to me.

"Well, my gal is here."

The girl in red made her way over to a two-seater couch, and looked expectantly at Niou, waiting for him to come over. As Niou bade me goodbye, she shot me a poisonous look.

I winced, although I wasn't sure if Niou noticed my flinching. It was confirmed for me not too soon later though, that he did, when he placed a comforting hand on my shoulder and said, "She's like that" before walking away to his customer.

Closing my eyes, I leaned back into the soft cushion. Staring was rude. So I will try to be as un-rude as possible by minding my own business. And this cushion was so soft and sweet, I should really try to enjoy my private time with it before I'm sent shuffling home. And it was free too! So I should take advantage and try to relax…..

My eyes snapped open when I felt a weight on me, and I found myself staring into the purple eyes of Marui Bunta.

I just sat there staring at him.

Seconds ticked by.

……..

40 seconds later, my face was as red as a ripe tomato, or maybe strawberry.

"M-Marui-san…"

"Hmm?"

"Could you…ummm….move, please?"

It took all my power to not faint right on the spot.

Marui Bunta was sitting on me. One of these gorgeous men was sitting on me. On my lap. I could feel my temperature rising, and I would probably combust really soon.

I can't take this close proximity! '_Please just get off, please just get off…'_

Marui smirked upon noticing my still reddening face, and the nervous sweat that was starting to gather on my neck and forehead. But luckily for me, he stood up without much resistance and my tensed body instantly relaxed.

I did not see Marui taking note of how fast I relaxed, and the frown flitting across his face soon after.

Slight panic returned to me, when I saw Marui pull over another cushion and flopped down onto it next to me. His suit ruffled from the impact, and his hair mussed up; and yet, he retained that charming look.

I felt my eyes squeeze instinctively, trying to get rid of inappropriate thoughts about the man beside me.

"So Niou says you got lost?" He asked, his mouth pulled in that usual amused smile.

My mouth popped open for a moment, and I looked over at Niou who was busy being his suave self, before I turned back over to Marui, shaking my head.

"Thought so."

One of my eyebrows rose up. "What do you mean?"

He propped his cheek against one fist, and grinned at me. "I don't think you'd be that stupid to get lost from your area all the way to here anyway."

"………"

Noticing my silent response, Marui blinked, thinking he had hurt my feelings. He opened his mouth, probably about to reply when I spoke.

"I suppose so…"

"Huh?"

"It'd be kinda stupid to get lost, considering the distance I'd have to travel from my area to here." I smiled tentatively at this not-so-stranger.

Marui sighed in relief when he saw I wasn't hurt, and chose to smirk instead. "So what's the real excuse?"

I sat there for the next few minutes with him, telling him of my work and the need for inspiration, then where Aya and the rest were (I didn't tell him why I did not join them), the taxi driver and how he drove off before I can switch destinations.

"Hmmm~" A green bubble followed from his mouth. He nodded at the sketch pad by my feet, before popping the bubble with his tongue.

"Can I take a look?"

Unconsciously, my feet moved in front of the sketch pad, as if to prevent him from making a grab at it. "Well….they aren't really that good…"

Marui rolled his eyes. "That's what the potato chips told the popcorn. Just show me." He added childishly.

I did not get the popcorn whatever thing he spoke of. But his eyes, set in a determined stare, were so pleading and demanding that I relented. It was like trying to stare down a child who wanted a cookie. They wont back down easily.

Hesitantly, I handed my sketch book to him. He made to pull it out of my hand, but I held onto them for a moment, as if willing my sketch pad to bite Marui's hand, and return to my side instead.

His free hand(the one that wasn't holding the pad) came up and rested on mine, that was still holding onto the pad tightly.

"Kumiko-chan." Marui spoke, his velveteen voice reassuring. "I wont laugh, no matter how terrible they are." He smiled at me, brilliant eyes sincere; and I knew that I can trust him not to embarrass me.

So I released my grip on the sketch pad.

Settling back into a couch, my fingers drummed on my glass of water impatiently and nervously, awaiting his response. In an attempt to decrease his level of concentration as he flipped through my book, I started conversation; a first for me, as I generally do not start conversation.

"So…Marui-san….." I started, trailing as I searched my mind for a topic.

"Hmmm?" Marui did not look up as he scrutinized a page of my sketchbook.

"…ummm….You don't have any customers tonight?" I tried. I couldn't think of anything and I couldn't help but wonder why he wasn't entertaining someone and talking to me instead.

"Not anymore. My last customer for the night just left. And we're closing in an hour or so, and the doorkeeper usually does not let people in when its 1-2 hours before closing time." He replied, briefly glancing up at me before glancing back down. He turned the book towards me. "You drew this?"

I nearly rolled my eyes. It was my sketchbook. Of course I did. But being the turtle I was, I didn't voice that. "Yes." And settled for a polite answer instead.

He whistled. "Heeeh~ It's amazing."

My gaze shifted down to the page where the pad was opened to; a page where I did one of my old drafts for a full-blown painting that I later on completed for a grade. It was a relatively simple and ugly sketch that he turned to in my opinion.

It portrayed a young girl walking through a bustling street that resembled the nightlife of Chinatown or something. She was the only thing there that stood out for she was drawn in with bold and connected lines. The setting about her was more blurry and filled with varying lines, giving the effect of movement.

"Thanks…it's not really that good though." I murmured, shyly looking away.

Marui rolled his eyes at me again. "Give yourself some credit. You got talent." He grinned. I gingerly took my pad back from him, glancing up to find his gaze on me. I looked back down. "Thank you…"

He settled back into his plush couch and looked curiously at me. "I saw several scratched out thumbnails on one of the recent pages….art block?"

I heaved a sigh when he said that word; the bane of all artists, amateur and experts alike. Dejectedly, I said, "Yes."

He chortled a short laugh and I made him the target of my weak glare. My glares had no effect on people. It was like being stared down by a hamster. "I don't see what's so funny about it…" I whispered heatedly to myself, but he heard.

"Nothing really. I just find it funny that people find it so hard to come up with a topic." He snickered and I quirked an eyebrow at him curiously. "And YOU don't find it hard sometimes?" I retorted, just daring him to say yes.

And he did.

"Yes." He replied. No hesitance. No questions.

My fingers twitched slightly from annoyance at his ego. "And why is that?" My voice was slightly accusing.

"Cause I'm a genius." He boasted, saying it in a tone as if it was obvious and it was the most natural thing in the world.

But I only stared blankly at him, not expecting that answer.

Upon my silence, his eyes narrowed slightly. "You don't believe me?"

I coughed at his question to hide a laugh, and quickly turned away and drank from my glass of water, hiding a smile on my face.

"Oi! It's true! I'm a genius!" Marui insisted, and I heard his palms slam against the arms of the plush cushion he was on.

I giggled. "Sure. I believe you." I tried to smile at him but my smile was unsteady, threatening to break into a full-blown laughter.

Marui sniffed, offended. But it then turned into a smirk.

He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees, supporting his chin upon his interlaced fingers. "Want me to prove it to you?" He asked, almost sinisterly in my eyes.

My smile wiped from my face, and I returned my usual blank stare onto it, trying to throw off that smirk of his which was starting to scare me slightly. "Uhh….no?"

Marui chuckled to himself, and I leaned away from him in confusion. Also because I was weirded out.

"Just two times you know." He said, his beautiful eyes hidden away from me behind his lids.

"…I don't understand…" I really didn't. The sudden change in his behavior caught me off guard, in addition to the fact that I was still limited in my experience with how males behave.

He smirked and revealed his light eyes to me, glinting with a certain mischief. "I figured you out."

"…What?" That was all I could say really. I didn't get him.

"I figured you out. All in the two times I met you." He got up and bent over in front of me, so he was at eye level with me.

I felt the blood creeping, seeping into my face. But I couldn't move. I could only look into his eyes, entranced.

He leant closer, and I could feel his breath, perfumed with the aroma of sweet wine, wash over my profile. I distinctly captured a scent that reminded me of bubblegum….Yes. Bubblegum. He was chewing one, wasn't he? So that's what it was…

My mind was scattered and my head blurry. His scent was overwhelming. Not in a bad way. It was like having too much of your addiction, or your favorite food. You feel sick at the end.

This was how I felt right now, as his scent of wine and bubblegum enveloped me.

Wine and bubblegum. Who would have thought?

It was really ironic. It was a paradox. Wine- represents adulthood and maturity- and Bubblegum- childhood and youth. Who would have thought that such different things would match so well…?

Maybe because it was Marui Bunta who had it.

If it was any other person, I bet it would have been sickening.

Dazedly, I slowly lifted my head and gazed through half-lidded eyes.

"How long would it take for you to figure me out?" He breathed onto me.

* * *

**Reviews? XD**


	5. Confusion Of The Mind

* * *

_"Fine Line"_

_"You always admire what you dont understand." - Blaise Pascal  
_

_Chapter 5: Confusion of the Mind_

* * *

A challenge.

It definitely was one.

I laid under the covers of my bed, mind reeling from my last encounter with Marui Bunta a couple of hours ago. Atobe had taken me home- in a majestic limousine might I add- and since then, I still haven't been able to get my conversation with Marui out of my head!

The man was aggravating! ….to an extent. He had thoroughly embarrassed me with his invasion of my personal bubble! When I finally realized the close proximity of our faces, my breath had clogged itself in my throat and I spilled the cup of water onto the floor….and my sketch pad. It's now hung to dry out in the living room. And let's say that incident got most of the females in the room giggling, especially that one girl in red with Niou.

I buried my face deeper into my pillow and his words before the disaster happened came back to me again. _"How long would it take for you to figure me out?"_ And I pulled at my hair.

It bugged me. A lot. And I don't know why either. It sounded like…a challenge. A challenge to see if I can….I can….actually, I don't know challenge for what!! Maybe I'm just thinking too much about this. Deciding to shuffle my thoughts about him away (again), I turned in for the night.

But under the safety and comfort of my blanket, the smell of wine and bubblegum still linger.

* * *

Due to the art block which I'm still suffering from despite last night, I'm now sitting at a small dessert café nearby the university with Yura. The girl is in her second last year of history major, and is currently working on a thesis of how psychology is used to influence great kings and other leader figures. It then occurred to me that Yura had a great interest in the sciences back in High School, and was the ace of her class in that department.

I sipped my drink as she scribbled on her paper little bits of evidences she could use to back up her thesis. I saw several names such as Bismarck, Rasputin and many more which I can't pronounce, or even remember anyway. Out of curiosity though, I asked her what she was going to say.

She looked at me thoughtfully, thinking through her words; probably to make it easier for me to understand. That's sweet Yura for you.

"Well, I can't really explain it well in words right now, I work better when typing." She laughed. I waved my hand airily at her, "It's alright. Just give me the gist of it."

"Well," she started, still hesitant of her words. "It's kind of complicated, yet isn't. If you understand someone, you can manipulate them, you know? Twist them to your game." She murmured forefinger and thumb lightly grabbing her chin as she stared down at her mocha. I sat silently, waiting for her to continue as I down the last of my peach bubble tea. "That's possible because you see the world in their point of view, but the thing is, you see it in yours as well." She shrugged. "Like Sun Tzu once said, know both your enemies and yourself, and victory is ensured. Know only yourself but not your enemy, you may or may not lose. But understanding neither yourself nor your enemy, you will always endanger yourself….Hey! I can use that proverb. Why didn't I think of it sooner?" She realized at the end, quickly scribbling down what she just said.

I looked on as she wrote, mind still barely getting an idea of the whole concept. "But then...even if you can….manipulate them..," The word sounded evil to me. Manipulation isn't something I advocate. "How would you get them to follow your plans?"

Yura had a slight deadpan look on her face at my question. As if saying, isn't that obvious? But Yura was too sweet for that. "Well, understanding the psychology of the other person, figure them out-," My head snapped to attention at those words.

"_Figure them out__" _She says.

The rest of her words are lost to me, as all I can only focus on is that one word. Figure.

My mind reeled back to last night, when Marui used that word with me. Speaking of which, I have yet to figure out what he meant. "How do you figure out someone, exactly?" I asked.

Yura scratched her head and I realized that this isn't really a question that a history student can answer. Maybe I should see the psychology professor…

"I'm not too sure myself but, I suppose one of the basics would be that you have to pay close attention to them, to every single thing they do and say, while remaining neutral yourself." Scratch seeing the professor. Yura knows everything.

"Neutral?" I echoed her word. Why exactly did we have to remain neutral, my curious side (which is a huge part of me, but usually I do not have the guts to act on it) wanted to know.

"Cause….if you're not neutral, others behavior will change and they will act based upon what they think you will like, so in the end, you're seeing a fake; not the real them….I think. Make sense?" Yura asked for my confirmation, and I nodded.

I still didn't get what Marui meant though.

"Hey Yura…" She slurped her mocha. "Hmm?"

"That host club we been to the other day, do you visit there often?" I leant forward in my seat.

She coughed upon my question. "No, of course not!" She denied furiously, a small blush on her face. I raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head, hand stirring the remainder of her mocha. "Nothing. Just that, I don't want you to get the wrong idea, you know."

I stared at her strangely, not comprehending. "I don't get it…what do you mean?"

"That host club is a high class host club, so nothing shady goes on, that's for sure..." She murmured, although I wasn't sure if it was to me or herself. She looked up at me. "Kumiko-chan, you don't keep up to date on the news, do you?"

"Umm…no, not really." I answered sheepishly. "Why?"

"The host clubs are nice, that's for sure. They lavish us with attention and such~" She waved her hands around, as if trying to lighten the dust in the air. "But what they really are doing is leeching our money off…it's all business to them."

A sudden thump in my heart.

"The police reports are saying that host clubs are targeting housewives and young girls, like us." She continued, unaware of my expression, which even I could not tell what it was.

My gaze kept on her, mouth sealed in silence as I listened to what she is saying. But deep down, I felt something brewing within the pits of my stomach- the beginnings of a furious flame.

"Girls are going into prostitution, because they can't afford to pay the bills they rake up. I didn't want to take you there, but Aya-chan insisted, as it'll be something new for you." She smiled at me, and I tried to smile back, but the flickering anger I was feeling (which I did not know why I was feeling either) was keeping me from giving her a genuine smile.

"Aya-chan has been going to these types of clubs as soon as she hit 18, and she wanted you to experience it too, although I did tell her that you probably wont enjoy it since they are pretty much expensive. Aya and Asuka may be able to afford it, but you can't. And neither can Rinko and I. We can afford one or two trips, but we definitely can't become regulars like those two." Yura laughed, not egoistic enough to make up lies about how wealthy she is, although she did come from a well-to-do family. "I can't understand how Kikumaru-kun can handle knowing his girlfriend is going to host clubs."

My parents run their own company together, a networking and wiring company. They have a pretty steady and sometimes lumpy income, as Japan is constantly progressing and rising, so they have a lot of projects to work on, even with competition. Currently, as far as I know, they are trying to expand their company out into China and America. Especially China, since it's been expanding a lot lately and they can probably get a lot of work offers there.

Even so though, they don't allow me to just spend off their hard earned money away like Aya and Asuka. I get a set allowance every week, and they gave me a bank account with some money in it for emergencies, but nothing too much that I can ka-ching away. Which is why, rather than a condominium or a nice, posh dormitory, I get a small, but overall cozy, apartment. I prefer it that way anyway, since I'm pretty much used to the ordinary, pauper life, than one of great wealth like Asuka. I don't get why my parents work so hard though, if they are not going to spend their money….maybe they did it to support my good schooling, college and future university? That was most likely it. After all, children are basically investments of parents, and the more they invest in them, the more they get out of it later (hopefully).

"Aya-chan is loyal to Kikumaru-kun. So I'm sure he knows that she is only going to them for fun." I said, although I have no idea of what Kikumaru thought, because I also only recently discovered that Aya goes to host clubs! But I didn't want my best friend's name to be tainted in any way.

"I suppose that's true." Yura agreed. "Though, I still wonder why she goes to them so often, and Asuka-chan too…" She trailed, face clearly showing her disagreement on Aya and Asuka's choices to go. "No matter how friendly they are to us, no matter how much they seem to care about us, in the end, it's all about money."

Silver suddenly flashed into my mind, and I saw Ootori's kind face, his words from the night that seems so long ago, echoing in my ears.

_Think of us more like a harbor, or pillar. Someone who will listen to you when needed, when no one else can do it…_

I bit my lip. "That's not true."

Yura stared at me, our drinks long forgotten. Her doe eyes were wide, innocent- but they reflected a certain depth of maturity, knowledge. Yura knew a lot more about things than I do; I just lock myself up in my room and paint. I don't get around like her and the others; I was clueless street smart-wise, and I don't even read or watch enough programs to learn a lot. I was constantly stuck in my own world, the worlds which I recreate on paper. "They're nice people." I defended, weakly.

"Yes, they are Kumiko-chan. They are wonderful people…" She continued softly. "But it's a façade. They understand us. They understand what girls, women want. They twist us into their fingers…"

"What about the champagne tower?" I whispered back, feeling white anger swelling within me, bottled. Around me, I hear other young girls giggling among themselves about the latest fads, and hottest celebrity.

"It's a one-time thing. Treating women right the first time, they profit more by the consequent visits." She jotted down more lines on her note paper. "Kumiko-chan, that night at your birthday party, I don't know what Marui-san said to you…"

I recalled the night he took me up to the club roof. But I did not have a chance to linger on the memory of it as I returned my attention to Yura.

"I'm sorry." She apologized, and I looked at her confused. "Sorry for what?"

"Sorry that I wasn't up there with you. I was supposed to keep an eye on you." She meant well, but I couldn't control the sudden anger her words struck. "I didn't need you up there with me. It's not like Marui-san would try to pull off anything!"

"No! Of course he won't. Marui-san is a good person." I cut her off. "What _is_ wrong then?!" The table shook slightly when my leg impetuously kicked the leg of it, albeit unconsciously done. I did not expect Yura, of all people, to say something like that! She made it sound as if Marui and the other hosts were all corrupt people.

"Kumiko-chan, you're one of my best friends. And I don't want you getting tangled into anything that may hurt you." She pleaded with me.

"I'm _not_ getting tangled into anything bad!"

She was silent.

I sighed, and it betrayed my annoyance and anger to Yura. "I'm going to head home now, I have a lot to do for homework." I started to get up, slinging my bag over my shoulders. As I walked past her, Yura lightly grabbed my hand. "I don't think you realize how deep you're already in…" Her eyes, full of care and kindness looked up into my dark gaze. "Kumiko-chan, your feelings regarding Marui-san-"

My answer was instantaneous. "I don't like him." It was true, I don't. I don't know the man well enough to like him. Unlike Asuka or Rinko, I cant hook up with people I don't know well enough…which is why I never had a boyfriend before. I hardly even socialize!

"But you think about him, yes?" Was her return question.

That, I couldn't deny. Since our return from the host club, my thoughts have been constantly on him. She took my silence as a yes.

She released my hand, looking back down at her cold mocha. "That's what host's do to you." Her voice was soft, but sharp. She sipped her mocha, muttering a small goodbye to me before returning to her notes.

I stepped out of the café, the bell chiming behind me as the doors whip close. My walk was brisk, fast, and before I knew it, I was back at my apartment block.

My mind was telling me that what Yura said made sense (to a certain extent, as I had yet to fully understand everything of what she said, and what there is to know about host clubs). But my heart did not want to believe it either.

Atobe, Niou, Ootori, Jirou….Marui….they were all so good to me. They treated me so well.

They gave me a wonderful birthday party for free, they built a champagne tower for me despite knowing I wont have the money to pay for it, they comforted me and _talked_ to me despite my awkward self, they sent me home and took me into their club to keep me safe, they accompanied me like I imagined a real good friend would…

They _were_ good friends.

I couldn't sit still at home. My thoughts were frenzied with the things Yura placed into it. Countless papers were scattered around my room, making it messier than before; all filled with black, scratched out lines of frustration.

It made sense. It was business. But the idea of it is so surreal, unreal to me.

Without thinking it through, and acting purely on my emotions, I phoned Asuka and did the impossible; impossible coming from me at least. But what do you know, I did it!

But man, what was I _thinking_?!

* * *

**Thank you guys so much for all your wonderful reviews! I know definitely that if it wasnt because of you guys, I would not have the confidence or will to finish this chapter, and the chapters before that. I would not have known that people actually enjoy reading my stories if it wasnt because of your reviews and messages. Know that I enjoy every single review, no matter how short or long, and each add to my integrity to write the next chapter, and to finish this story. Without your support, I think this would have ended on chapter 2 haha. So...  
**

**Thanks you guys!~ Lady Ladington, Lady Aduka, getsugan_kiyone, kagami.95smiles, DS, Midnight Strawberry, demonsadist,Moonlitelover,xXKaira-HimeXx, .Sonata,Kouyan.**

**And I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter as well. It did not have any of our dear boys in it (oh dear ) but I hope you liked it too anyways. Too much of the boys will be bad for health in any case XD But its certainly a progress in the story! **

**Thanks a lot again, and as usual, reviews are appreciated~  
**


	6. Slowly Breaking Out And In

_"Fine Line"_

_"Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way." - Edward de Bono  
_

_Chapter 6: Slowly Breaking Out And In_

* * *

**(Yura's POV)**

I watched as Kumiko walked down the street through the glass panels of the dessert café, a sigh leaving my lips as she disappeared.

I turned back to my hordes of paper and thesis, not feeling the want to work anymore. Slowly, I packed up my belongings before burying my face in my arms, the cold surface of the table enveloping my skin.

Maybe I was thinking too much into it…? Having a great interest in psychology is troublesome sometimes…I look too far off into things and over analyze. But…

I'm worried about Kumiko-chan.

She's so…easily manipulated. And she doesn't even realize it….

When Aya-chan said she was going to take Kumiko-chan to a host club, of all places, for her birthday, I was instantly worried and looked more into these things. I did enjoy myself when I was there, but I still can't help it.

There were so many reports of girls being in great debt, all because they got addicted to host clubs. Not just for girls and women, even men too. Rich men were experiencing bankruptcy, all because they kept visiting those Hostess Clubs, way more often than they should. But one thing I noticed during my research was that things were skewed. Girls (and the occasional guy) spends more at Hosts Clubs than the men spends at Hostess Clubs. I don't get why it is this way, but if things are as they are, I'm afraid Kumiko will just get into trouble. Host Clubs, as I've seen, know how to make girls continuously pine for their attentions; leaving them wanting more and returning again- again and again.

There has just been too many cases of girls being lead into prostitution due to the bills they rake up in one night. An ordinary host club would already cost a lot, especially if you were a returning customer, and the one that Kumiko-chan was taken to was a high-class host club! Located in a building (a branded items shopping skyscraper no less), and not the streets like the others….that was already a warning sign to back off unless you had the money.

Aya-chan and Asuka-chan maybe rich, but Kumiko isn't. Well, her parents are wealthy by standards, but from what I know, they would disown her if she went out of line. And having a 50 thousand USD bill on their desk would be something that calls for disowner ship.

Not only that, Aya-chan and Asuka-chan…they were both strong. If anything happened, I knew they would be able to pick themselves back up again. Asuka-chan more so than Aya-chan. But Aya-chan had Kikumaru-kun.

But Kumiko-chan…..

She had no one.

I rubbed my temples, the worry and strenuous thinking bringing about a headache. I groaned softly, staring at my empty cup. "Since when did I turn into a naggy nanny…?"

**

* * *

**

**(Kumiko's POV)**

I leaned my head against the car windows, watching as the scenery zipped by and changed. Idly, I fiddle with the pages of my sketchbook in my lap, handbag stored in the car compartment for the moment.

I frowned when I heard it again.

Her _snickers_.

"Will you stop laughing already, please?" I begged, squeezing my eyes shut as I felt my face burn.

"Pfft-AHAHAHAHA!" Asuka chortled, unable to control herself.

I glared at her with my hamster-like glare, lips pouting. "It's not funny…." I grumbled, face still red as Asuka continued to laugh at me.

She stepped on the brakes of her silver Volvo, briefly leaning her head against the wheel to laugh her soul out as the red lights of the traffic came on. "I just..I-ahahaha!"

"Hmph!" I crossed my arms, looking away from her in embarrassment and slight anger.

I saw her reflection on the mirror, looking up from the wheel and at me. She reached over and placed a hand on my shoulder, causing me to glance back at her. "I'm sorry." She apologized, although another snicker left her. "It's just that…just that-ahahahaha" She went into another round of laughing, and I groaned, knocking my head against the window.

How long do I have to deal with this…?

Her laughter ceased suddenly, coming out in only small chuckles and giggles, as she wiped tears- REAL literal tears- from her eyes…..Was it that funny that it caused so many bouts of laughing? …I didn't think it was that funny…in fact, I don't find it funny at all!!

She placed her hands on the wheel again, watching with evident amusement in her eyes for the green light to drive. She spoke during the wait. "It's just-"

"Don't laugh." I cut her off, trying to pull off the scariest glare I could at her; just daring her to laugh….which she most likely would anyways, even if I was successful in my glare. It seems, I'm not scary enough…why wasn't I blessed with the dark looks that some people seem to possess…? Why?!

She shook her head, grinning. "I wont…for now." She smiled wickedly at me and my frown only deepened. "I still don't see what's so funny…" I repeated, crossing my arms again.

Asuka looked at me, amusement painted across her face. She was enjoying this."It's not that funny….-" I looked at her angrily upon her words. "It's just funny that it came from you!" And she went into full blown laughter again just as she stepped on the pedal, sending the car flying forward.

I bristled, glaring down at my sketchpad as if I was trying to burn a hole into it. "I'm serious ~haha!" Asuka continued when she saw me fuming again."I did not think that _you_, of all people, will ask _me_, of all people, to go to a _Host Club_ with you! Ahahahaha!!"

"If it's so funny, let's turn back now then!" I near screamed, face still painted in embarrassment, memory receding back into several hours ago when I phoned her to ask her to accompany me to a Host Club.

"_Hello?"_

"_Hi Asuka-chan…"_

"_Ah! Kumiko! What's up?!"_

"_Umm…well…."_

"_Hmm?"_

"_I have a favor to ask…"_

"_Yea, sure. Anything."_

"…_.Will you…go to the host club with me?"_

"…………………………"

"_Asuka-chan?"_

"……………_..?"_

"_Asuka-chan…? Are you-"_

"_I think I had too many Red Bulls…"_

I pushed myself into the chair, arms still crossed and staring straight ahead. "I just wanted to get some inspiration…" I did not tell her about my conversation with Yura. Sometime after I left and phoned Asuka, I started to feel guilty; and that perhaps I overreacted. Yura was just looking out for me....

And look where my brashness- I think Aya and Asuka are starting to get to me- got me. Its taking me to the host club again; the one place I dreaded going days before. Mainly because it was too much of a social place for my liking. And the fact that the people socializing were guys –correct that, _gorgeous_ guys- did not help.

I blinked when the passing scenes became unfamiliar when Asuka took a turn. "Ummm…Asuka-chan, where are we going?" I asked hesitantly.

"Why, to the place your heart wishes to go of course~" She chimed. Her hand reached down to her foot area and extracted a bottle of beer.

My eyes narrowed slightly. "You're not supposed to drink and drive….and I thought Club Prism was located at the Smasher Court?" I asked, remembering the glaring golden sign located at the top of the skyscraper; and right below it, a huge screen displaying the eye-catching faces of several selected host club members of Club Prism, Atobe's face in the center as expected, since he seemed to be the leader…to some extent. I briefly wondered how many car accidents involving women occur in the streets around that area…Probably a lot, since most of them will be too busy staring up rather than down.

Asuka took a huge swig of her beer, and I clung onto my seat belt for fear of my life when she made a sharp turn to the right. "We're not going to Club Prism." She replied calmly, despite the maddening way she drives.

"W-we're not?" I squeaked, eyes widening at the news. I thought I asked her to take me to Club Prism?!

As if she read my thoughts, "You already been to Club Prism. We should try somewhere else. They all have different things to offer- and different hosts too of course~" She grinned.

"Wait, what?!!" I stared at her with eyes the size of saucers. "B-b-but!! I said Club Prism!"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm the host clubs connoisseur here, not you. Trust me."

"Asuka-chan!! I can't go to another club!"

"Why not?"

"I-" I don't know how to answer. I'd sound so stupid if I told her. Since I was originally the one who asked her to accompany me…But I just can't go to another club! That would mean….different guys! Different hosts!! I…can't do that! I don't think I can face a bunch of new guys at all! I only dared to ask her to bring me to Club Prism was because I was slightly familiar with the men there!!

"C-cant we just go to Club Prism?" I pleaded.

She turned into a parking space and shut off the engine. "Too late. We're here."

* * *

I followed Asuka closely and timidly into the building, another high-class complex. Seems like all the clubs Asuka goes to are expensive ones or something; and not those on the streets that are _way_ more affordable.

It was night, and most of the stores in the building are starting to close and there were only a little people left. I don't think that many people come here anyways, seeing as its all branded names here. Asuka stopped at a glass board with posters up on it, contemplating.

"What's wrong..?" I looked over her at the board. Various services and information pertaining to the building, Black Star, was held onto the glass with fancy tacks.

"Well, there are two clubs here. I'm just thinking of which one we should go to tonight." She replied, eyeing two posters that each represented their own club.

I looked at them as well, noting down the names- Club Sacred and Club Celestial.

"Which one do you want to go to?" Asuka asked me suddenly.

"Umm…I don't know…you choose…" I mumbled. "I wanted to go to Club Prism originally anyway…"

Asuka rolled her eyes at me again. "Don't be such a baby."

I frowned, but she didn't notice. I _was_ a baby. A big one at that. I'm too cowardly of new things, and I can't do anything by myself.

"Yosh~Let's go to Club Sacred!" Asuka decided then, leading the way to the elevator.

"Any reason why this club?" I asked curiously. I wanted to prepare myself a bit at least for this new club. Don't want to faint and make a fool of myself.

Asuka hummed idly, fixing her hair using her reflection on the white elevator walls. "Well, not really. They all have pretty good services, just like Club Prism."

"Why then did we not go to Club Prism?!"

She ignored me. "But I particularly like the two leading hosts here. They are…quite the charmer I must say." She grinned wickedly at me. "I think you'll like them."

"…." I didn't like what her tone suggested, nor her face. "Just so you know…I don't have a lot of money…if they expect me to-"

"I'll treat you. So don't worry sheesh." She grumbled at me, but her eyes were smiling.

As tomboyish as she is, Asuka had a heart of gold…..sometimes. But I shook my head no. "I can't do that. These things are expensive and I came here for my art project. I can't possibly have you pay for me."

"Well, I'm paying anyways. I know these guys better than you, so I think they'd rather take my credit card than your bills. Besides, I'll just bribe them not to take your money." She mused as if I wasn't there.

I gaped at her in bewilderment. "You cant do that!"

"Money lets you do many things, Kumiko dear~" She chuckled.

I bit my lip and leaned against the wall dejectedly. There was just no winning Asuka. I don't feel too good about letting her pay, but I don't see anyway out of this. I can try to pay, but Asuka usually does what she says she will do. So she will more than likely pay more to the hosts if I tried to pay for myself….and that'll only end up in Asuka dishing out more money than she has to.

I sighed, silently praying that this will be worth it. I wanted to go to Club Prism, because I knew the men there (slightly), and I was hoping that they'd be able to help me out of my inspiration block, and be my new subjects for my artworks.

My art block has been occurring way too often lately. And I think that maybe its because I keep locking myself up in my room, hardly leaving to try anything new; and now I've exhausted myself of new and innovative things to recreate. This afternoon, after returning from the café, I tried to continue drawing for my homework that is due after spring break. But it only ended up on more papers being torn out of my pad. And what Yura said did not help me either.

So I thought that….maybe its time to try something else. I thought that…maybe I should prove Yura wrong? Well, that was the rare impulsive side of me. Usually I'd just accept what others said and try to make something out of what I have, rather than finding new things.

But maybe, using Host Clubs as my new subject theme, it would help me in my art major. I know what I lack in; but I can't help it. I have the skills, but I don't have the vision nor creativity. I can make the greatest still life painting of apples man has ever seen! But what is a basket of apples compared to a pride of gorgeous lions?

The elevator 'dinged' and I followed Asuka out of it, nervousness finally starting to chip into me.

I still wanted to know what Marui meant by figuring him out as well.

Asuka lead me pass several bars, with several couples still drinking, and towards one side of the spacious floor.

Perhaps, using host clubs and its members as my muse, it'd allow me to understand him more.

'_Isn't that just going to show Yura-chan, and prove her right, that Marui has winded you around his fingers?_

I whipped away that annoying voice which is my subconscious, stubbornly telling myself that the hosts at Club Prism are good people. And I don't have any feelings for Marui! He just…agh! He was just really aggravating! And….he just sparked this curiosity deep within me with his words….

We stopped at a golden brown door that had the words 'Club Sacred' engraved across it in a deep forest green color.

As an artist, I think that curiosity is naturally within me. Just that I never had the guts to act on them…I didn't want to be the cat it killed.

Well, right now I just wanted to get out my art block, finish my homework, and hopefully satiate this weird curiosity of mine.

But when Asuka pushed open the door, I nearly dropped my sketchpad and my handbag slipped a little from my shoulder; all thoughts was blown away from my mind when I saw lavender eyes.

Marui?

No…

My hand was lifted up gently, and the feeling of soft lips was felt upon them.

"My name is Kajimoto Takahisa, and welcome, to Club Sacred."

* * *

**Well, I decided to have a new way of working! From now on, I shall not reply to reviews through messages! I shall reply through…the next chapter! I'm hoping this will help me update faster since I love to reply to reviews T_T But it doesn't seem to be working so far since I go ahead and reply anyways x_X **

**Juunin: haha sorry for the wait. I work really slow DxWell, I wanted to keep Marui's character in check, but not make him so bubbly and all that he's not an adult anymore. I figured Marui would grow up somewhat at some point of his life haha **

**Demonsadist- lol manipulating your friends now? I can understand that….looking at your name and all haha **

**SapphireBreeze19: sorry. I work extremely slow haha =( **

**Lady Ladington- well, I still am quite frustrated with this story since I'm still slightly confused as to where I'm taking with it haha I got the ending planned out in my head (sort of) but no idea how to lead up to it XD not only that, I always seem to forget key things and then consequently leave major plotholes in the story =(**

**Midnight Strawberry- I think I make Kumiko too easily manipulated…_; haha thank you though xD**

**Anyways, I needed to bring in a bit more of PoT boys for a bit xD because in all honesty, I loved Kajimoto before I loved Marui haha so he's basically my first PoT love ;p I'm considering writing a story on him (since maybe I'm overloading FF with a lot of crappy Marui stories...) but there's so little of him to go on =( But hopefully I can portray his character right...Well, also I'm bring in more PoT boys since I was thinking of having little side stories pertaining Kumiko and the boys other than Marui haha I originally planned to have them within the story itself, but then I'm scared it'll make Kumiko seem Mary-Sueish, if she had a small fling here and there with each boy x_X; So most probably they'll be side stories...not much to do with FL but still taking part along FL's timeline and universe....yea....I'll think about it more....**

**Anyway, as usual, I love reviews =3 I'm a review-whore lol  
**


	7. Lesson One from K and S

**I'm leaving to Hong Kong for a few days to meet up with a friend, so I quickly threw this together before I leave ;_;**

* * *

_"Fine Line"_

_"Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new" -Brian Tracy  
_

_Chapter 7: Lesson One from K and S  
_

* * *

I felt more segregated here than I did at Club Prism.

At Club Prism, I was a weirdo. Here, I was an alien.

I sat at my stool, pulling myself in as much as possible, wanting to stay away from as many people as I can.

This…Club Sacred…was the _complete_ opposite of its name.

Won't something that is called sacred be related to something more….refined and quiet?

At Club Prism; the girls were all the noble, porcelain dolls, the pink outside but green inside type. I preferred that than this. I'd rather get sneered at by the lady in red Nioh entertained than be here.

This was not my type of environment.

It was too….lively.

"Ahhhhhh! Wakato-kuuuun!"

I cringed, the voices of the numerous girls crowding a single man on the other side of the room reaching me, despite the distance between us.

Everything ran at a low sound level at Club Prism; elegant and beautiful.

Here, it can be described as Elegant Punk.

Everything was as beautiful as Club Prism (including the men of course), but it was a completely different world here. Even the system was different.

They did not have the eternal nomination system like Club Prism. Girls and women can choose whoever they want, no matter how many visits they paid.

Which is why, it seemed like all the customers here seems to be familiar with all of the hosts. And boy, did they act _really_ friendly with them.

I blanched when I saw one of the more…desperate, for lack of a better and nicer word, girl almost literally expose her chest to one of the hosts; in an attempt to get his attention. He gave her his attention alright, like he was supposed to, but he did not seem too pleased with the way she was acting. Briefly, I pitied hosts.

I noted he had red hair, just like Marui's, but with a streak of purple in it.

'_Marui this, Marui that-'_ I clamped my subconscious down.

Here, it was also a pay by entry fee; probably cause that their drinks aren't as expensive as the ones in Club Prism, but still expensive nonetheless.

Loud pop music blared from the speakers located around the room, not the classical that I expected. Many girls were dancing around with one another; some were dancing in groups of 4 with one host! It astounded me how they did that.

In fact, it astounded me how they can even dance.

I know I can't.

I can only describe this place to be similar to a bar…or a disco. But with an air of superiority and beauty to it.

None of those flashing bright lights; they had chandeliers that cast off a silver glow around the room. They didn't have tiled floors that changed colors. They had pristine marble that seemed to blend from one color to another from the light. They didn't have waitresses in skimpy uniforms here. They had men in pressed suits serving drinks, each with their own flair.

But neither did they have girls which covered their mouths and let out soft giggles. They had screaming (fan)girls that horded the men. I don't see any heartbroken women with cheating husbands either. It seemed more like these women were cheating on _their_ husbands.

So I could only conclude this was the paternal twin of Club Prism; or maybe a stepbrother. Similar, yet completely different.

And I preferred the other twin. This twin was way too open and social for my liking.

I jumped, a yelp escaping my throat when someone suddenly touched my shoulders. Luckily for me, it was too loud in here for anyone to notice, other than the select few that were nearby (casting me weird looks now by the way), and the person who scared me so. I should start wearing a sign that says "Easily scared."

The host that greeted me when I first entered looked at me with one raised eyebrow, amusement painted in his eyes. "I'm sorry to have scared you." He smiled apologetically.

"I-It's okay…I scare easily anyways…haha…ha…" I'm so lame.

He took a seat beside me, waving down a drink from the bartender- later offering it to me. Aw man, is this one of their tactics to get money from the women? By getting them drinks even if they didn't want one?

"I…err…" I hesitated from taking the drink. I know Asuka will pay for me, but that doesn't mean I should drink as if I hadn't drank for 100 years.

"Don't worry. My treat." He offered.

I don't know if it's because I look like a pauper or something, but I seem to be getting a lot of free treats. Not that I mind. I save more….

"T-thank you…" I sniffed at the liquid curiously, the fuzzy gold not helping the uneasiness of my stomach at taking something new.

"It's doux." He spoke, watching me eye the glass. As if I know what doux is supposed to be.

I took a small sip- a sugary taste entered my mouth, and I took a larger sip this time.

"It's…sweet." I concluded, blinking stupidly at him.

A soft laugh escaped him, smooth and deep. I find it hard to imagine how a host like him works in a club like this. He seemed more suited to be in Club Prism. "You don't look like the type that likes bitter tastes." He commented, hailing down a glass of water for himself.

I blushed at myself at this. Hosts usually drink whatever their customers order, since the customers usually order for themselves and them. And here I was, letting him treat me and taking plain water for himself. I felt so cheap.

"How do you know…?" I asked, trying to get his attention away from the drinks and hopefully from noticing my apparent stinginess.

He crossed his arms on the island counter, closing his eyes in a peaceful manner. "Working as a host for a period of time has its benefits." He turned to look at me. "It allows me to read others, particularly women, more easily."

"I see…" I murmured, silently thinking that it did make sense. You have to know the customers to keep them happy and coming.

"Kumiko-san, is it?" He asked.

"Ah- H-hai" I stammered. Sometimes I wondered if I have to be diagnosed for speaking disorders.

"Why are you here?"

Despite myself, a blank look washed over me. What kind of question was that?

Kajimoto instantly noticed my look and quickly sat up straight, correcting himself. "No, sorry. I didn't mean it like that." He smiled, almost sheepishly. "I just thought that, since you entered here, you've been sitting here, unlike Asuka-san."

As if on cue, a loud and shrill cheer came from Asuka, and I looked behind to see the girl swinging two bottles of wine around and jumping to the beat while two other hosts stood around her and laughed.

Facing to the front, my eyes closed in deep mortification. Sometimes, I wondered how did I ever got the acquaintance of a person like Asuka. We were completely different.

Asuka recommended several hosts to me when we first entered, Kajimoto being one of them. But being the turtle I am, I made an excuse that I would like to look around the place first- pssh, as if people came here to look at the glimmering walls, when there are other much more attractive things to look at…Of course in the end, Asuka quickly got absorbed with all the activity going on and I chained myself to the bar stool, sketchpad on my lap and pencil twirling about in my hand.

I felt like such a schoolgirl here. Here I was, sitting in a corner with a bag filled with stationeries and a pad, whilst others were mingling around and drinking to their hearts content. Yep, I was a schoolgirl alright.

I didn't feel like an 18 year old…and I bet I didn't cut the look of one either.

Seeing that Kajimoto was still expecting a reply from me, I quickly answered."Well…Asuka-chan is more familiar with this than me…" I laughed nervously.

I never held such a close-knit conversation alone with a guy before. Marui didn't really count…he was slightly childish. It was easier to hold a conversation with him…that's how I felt anyways, even if I still felt slightly awkward around him. That is probably due to him being of the male gender…

Kajimoto was just….mature; and regal.

Several blinks of the eye were all I got from him and he stared at me in a way that would have made most girls faint- because it was so darn cute!

I didn't tell that to him (as if I ever would), but I did blush. No matter how much of an extraterrestrial I was by human standards, I was still a girl; one that was not immune to males.

Him just being a great-looking one just makes things more difficult for me, and I was trying hard to just not flop unconscious to the floor, or run away to the bathroom and hide.

I elaborated what I meant further. "It's just…this is only the second time I came to a place like this." The second time at Club Prism didn't count. I technically wasn't a customer at the time; just a freeloader they had to take in for the sake of their club's prestige. "And I kinda expected things to be more like the other club…"

"Which other club did you go to?" He questioned curiously.

"Club Prism."

His eyes alighted. "Ah~Club Prism." He smiled at me again then."You must have been treated like a princess."

"I was literally a princess." I snorted. I recalled how they referred to me by 'hime' and all that. And dear gods, although I felt as if I was going to die of embarrassment, I know definitely that that night was one I would never forget. Because Club Prism made me feel as if I was important; that I was somebody.

Kajimoto smirked at my answer. "That is to be expected when you go to a place ran by Atobe."

I cocked my head to one side. I remembered Atobe himself and Oshitari briefly mentioned about the name of Atobe to me during the champagne call. "What is so important about Atobe anyway?"

I regretted asking that question as soon as it left my mouth, because although his face remained placid and cool, it was clearly written in his eyes that he thought I must have been living under a rock.

"Err…" God I felt so silly now.

"Atobe owns a multi-million dollar corporation; needless to say one of the classiest Host Club around~" A new voice piped up from my left, and I whirled over to set eyes on a man sporting ash eyes and similar light ash hair. He lazed casually on his seat –why hadn't I noticed him?- cheek propped against the palm of his hand. "Ahh~" He sighed. "If I had that much money like that guy, I can buy all the vitamins I want- Esctasy~!"

………………………….

………………………….

………………………….

………………………….

..........................

…say what?

Vitamins….? ….Ecstasy?

I didn't know what my face looked like. But I figured it was something akin to the expression someone would get when they see a skinless koala bear feasting on kangaroos….yea. That's it.

"Shiraishi! You have enough vitamins and health products in your cabinets to feed the entire Japanese diet!" Kajimota exasperated, although he raised one eyebrow in amusement at the antic of his companion.

"You can never achieve absolute perfection like that, Kajimoto-kun." Shiraishi replied, a lazy smirk running across his face.

He suddenly took my hand- I know what he's going to do!!- And smiled at me, keeping my hand in his grasp lightly. "Shirashi Kuranosuke~ Pleased to meet you."

……..

Hmm.

He didn't kiss it like the other hosts did. I expected him to since that seemed to be the standard greeting…

"A-ah…Ishimaru Kumiko…Nice to meet you too." I greeted in return, although I was still slightly weirded out and bewildered by his statements from before. Is it possible that there is someone as weird, or possibly weirder, than me?

"Shiraishi-kun!" A girl, she looked to be about 20, came up to him with 2 of her other friends. "Shiraishi-kun! You still haven't told us about the types of nutrients we could get from the plants in our own backyard like you promised!" She pouted, and her friends agreed, all throwing looks at Shiraishi.

The man just smiled, and waved his- bandaged?- hand airily. "Ah~ Sorry. I'll compile a list for you guys to make up for it instead, how's that?" Cue a brilliant smile from him here, and instantly all three girls were as red as a tomato. Even though that smile wasn't meant for me, I could not help the slight pink of my cheeks.

Kajimoto chuckled from my right and I looked at him curiously.

"Even after so long working with him, I still can't understand this man and his obsession with perfect health." He commented and I could not help but laugh.

"Health?" I repeated, my tone of voice betraying my disbelief of it.

"Yes, health." Shiraishi answered. He had appeased all three girls instantly and had them swaying over to another side of the club in a giddy….ecstasy.

He raised a bandaged hand to my face, and lightly held my chin in between his index and thumb.

"Eh?! Ummm…" Instinctively, I stiffened as he examined me; for what, I do not know. But I suddenly felt very conscious of myself, and my grip tightened around my pad as pink dusted my cheeks.

He stared at me for several moments longer before he finally released me.

I just sat there numbly and dumbly, looking at him. He gave me a cusp of a smile and a smirk. "It seems like you take good care of yourself, Kumiko-san."

"Eh?"

Kajimoto shook his head, again in exasperation. "Are you going to tell me that she gets enough vitamin E, D and A?" he commented sarcastically but in friendly jest- his face still remained cool as ever even when being sarcastic.

Shiraishi laughed joyfully, and I watched this interaction between the two. It made me think and feel that they were…close friends. And it made me smile to think that hosts are so friendly with each other even if they are out rightly competing with another for customers. Usually that would cause tension and disagreement between any two parties, but…they were all getting along.

I suddenly felt…inspired.

In my mind, I completely painted- imagined- this scene. I could already see the colors that would fly across the painting; and it was clear to me that I found my topic for my first medium: paint.

Quickly, I flipped open my pad and started scribbling down notes onto the side of a page, just so that I wont lose all the colors and emotions that were passing through my mind right now.

I sensed the two peek down at my pad, but I continued to jot down whatever I could before I lose all of this inspiring moment.

"What are you writing?' Kajimoto asked, leaning over so that he could see. "Relaxation?"

I scratched my cheeks uncertainly. "I couldn't think of anything better…."

"What for?" This time Shiraishi asked.

"Well, to be honest, I don't really…take to going to host clubs. No offense!" I quickly added at the end when I saw them raise their brows at me.

"I just…" I sighed. It wasn't really nice nor smooth to tell hosts that you didn't like host clubs. "I was just looking for inspiration, and I just wanted to confirm something for myself…" I wanted to confirm that what Yura said is wrong. "So here I am." I shrugged sloppishly, hoping they weren't mad.

To my surprise, Kajimoto laughed, and Shiraishi smiled absent-mindedly. "Don't worry about not liking to come to host clubs." Shiraishi told me. "It'd actually be nice if more of our customers were like you. We wouldn't be so busy like that then~ Ecstasy~"

"If all our customers were like her, we might go out of business soon." Kajimoto commented jokingly. I wonder, how does this man joke and be sarcastic without letting much emotion slip into his face? A smile and a smirk here and there; but that's the extent of it.

"So you're here to get inspiration?" Shiraishi continued, saving me from my embarrassment.

"Uh, yea…It's for my art course at college…I have to hand in 3 pieces of work done in different mediums." I mushroom sighed again. "The last few days I have been at a block."

As I said that, I suddenly realized that I was feeling less…nervous. Less enclosed and frightened with talking to them. When did that happen? Moments ago I was still stammering about as if I suffer from heart attack.

"Hmm~ So you're going to draw us?" Shiraishi asked, amusement littering his voice as he picked up my sketchpad.

"H-hey!" I startled, and tried to grab for it. "It's private!"

As if he did not hear me, he flipped through my pad and I just sat there helplessly, pouting angrily.

"That's new. A girl coming here for inspiration" Kajimoto commented, as he looked over me at the sketchpad.

"Not really. We _do_ give the girls inspiration after all~" Shiraishi smirked at me and I blushed harder.

"It's not like that!" I protested, not liking what he insinuated.

Ignoring me again, he merely contemplated what I wrote minutes ago. He suddenly passed the pad over to Kajimoto who took it, albeit a bit hesitantly. Hm, seems like Kajimoto is more sensitive to my feelings at least. But alas, he did not give it back to me either and flipped through it.

As he looked through it, Shiraishi turned to me. "I think that, you should make my side of the painting have plants sprouting by the bar counter, and in Kajimoto-kun's side, his plants are wilting."

I deadpanned.

Kajimoto looked up at him, frowning. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Shiraishi did not reply, and merely propped his cheek against his palms again, looking at me. "So? What do you think of that idea?"

I didn't know if he was joking or not. Plants? Seems like this person is a big fan of…plants and herbs. When I felt the pad fall back into my lap, I opened to the page where I wrote down my ideas.

Picking up my pencil, I started a small thumbnail sketch, portraying two figures sitting a distance apart from each other on a bar counter- and for the heck of it, added plants into the image.

Kajimoto frowned down at the image. "You can't be seriously using that idea, Kumiko-san?"

His expression caused me to laugh, whilst Shiraishi appraised the drawing. "Not as the final, I won't, Kajimoto-san." I assured him.

I wanted to portray two people who are complete strangers, or maybe not strangers, but rivals to a point, having a relaxed and friendly time together; hence the bar counter and the distance in which they sat apart. I don't know exactly what else I will be adding to it to make the painting much more vivid and interesting yet at the moment, but that was the inspiration that these two gave me.

It honestly did amaze and interest me, how competitors in close quarters got along.

And I also admired them for this.

I guess, in the end, coming here to Club Sacred wasn't so bad. Not only did I find a new inspiration, I also learnt one thing about the hosts.

They weren't all selfish and stingy.

That's one point proven to Yura.

I don't understand why I was obsessed with proving Yura wrong; its not as if these hosts directly affected my life or anything. But…I just didn't like the bad image painted about them. I can't explain it, but it left an unsettling bubble in my stomach.

I didn't know how long it was that I sat there that night, talking to these two very charming hosts – speaking of which, I think it was these two that Asuka said were "quite the charmers" when we were in the elevator. She didn't directly mention their names, but I could take a guess.

Because they definitely charmed my heart that night.

A thought about Marui suddenly crawled into my mind, causing my laughter to die out. What Yura said about Marui to me also came with the thought on Marui. It seems that now, whenever I think about Marui, I would also think about what Yura said.

Marui…

Has he really got me wrapped around his finger, like Yura said?

I felt…slightly insulted from that. It made me sound as if I was a girl easily manipulated.

Still, it's hard for me to just obliterate all the small times I had with Marui, no matter how brief or little they were. In fact, it's hard for me to forget how these hosts all treated me!

Maybe that's what hosts are supposed to do; give you an unforgettable time so that you'd come back. But I felt that, they were sincere in what they do. The hosts here at Club Sacred and Club Prism at least…

I don't feel as if they were in it for the money. Well, maybe a little….. (People need to make a living after all). I just don't feel that slimy vibe from anyone of them; I felt that they could be trusted…

I raised my hand, and the bartender came over immediately. "Two glasses of tequila for these two please~ And an apple juice for me!"

Shiraishi choked on air in jest, and Kajimoto quirked yet another brow at me. 'Tequila for us and apple juice for you?"

I laughed, rubbing the back of neck. "I can't take alcohol…and I heard that people get really weird when they take tequila sometimes!"

"So you want us to make a fool of ourselves?" Shiraishi guessed, smirking that ever nosebleed-inducing smirk. "Just so you know, we have high alcohol tolerance….and I love tequila."

I frowned. "You do? Oh…" Ah well. I didn't exactly want to see them turn red from the taste or gasp from drinking the shot, though it would have been fun…

I just wanted to treat my friends to several rounds of drinks.

Yea…I just wanted to treat my friends.

I cheered when the both of them simultaneously gulped down the shot glass and ate the lime.

* * *

**Aiyah, Kumiko-chan just doesn't see that she **_**is**_** easily manipulated x3 And the rule I set for myself is working!...so far at least. Hope I can keep it up and not reply to reviews instantly XD  
**

**Hmm, as I was writing this****, I just realized that Kumiko is almost EXACTLY the type of girl Kenya and Shirashi would go for….hmmmm *starts typing down notes***

**And sorry if Shiraishi seemed slightly OOC to you guys. But this is how I imagined him to be like ._. He's a captain, but unlike Tezuka or Sanada, he isn't so strict and all ****unemotional. He's more…friendly, and actually jokes about with his friends. It was also evident in his Valentine Kiss song, and also those little bouts of randomness he has in the story =D so I see him as a guy who can be serious, but he's also pretty much a friendly guy who has fun when he can. And in case you didn't know, Shiraishi is a health freak (yes, really) and a very, very, VERY botanically inclined person XD**

**Thanks for taking the time to review guys! **

**PhoenixRage92- lol well, I just like the idea of putting a girl who is completely afraid of bugs in a den of handsome lions ;D muhahaha-coughchokes and do you happen to have a deviantart or something? Cause your name is REALLY familiar; way before I came here lol I thought I saw someone else on another site with the same name as you. **

**Demonsadist- well, if someone made you doubt something, you'd go prove it, wouldn't you? XD ….well, I would x_X  
**

**Lady Ladington- yea haha Kajimoto has lavender eyes3 I seem to like all the guys with lavender eyes….Marui, Kajimoto, Sasori, Toutaku….lol XDthough Kajimoto would be the odd one out since he has brown hair; the other 3 all have red hair XD And I think I have the ending, although I'm not sure if I want to use it yet haha I'm still open for other options XD And Kajimoto's skill was the L-Drive serve, where he bends over and catapults his serve over haha *he's the man!***

**A jealous Marui didn't really go with what I have in mind, but it still might work for one part of the story =D but its just hard to make Kumiko…have a fling with one today and another the next day x_X; the hosts would start thinking she's a slut or something lol But I'll see what I can do, since I have a big attachment still to Kajimoto and one to Shiraishi x3 And its slightly troublesome to start whole new stories on them lol**

**Midnight Strawberry- haha true, true XD I know I'd lose half my mind** **first ._.  
**


	8. Childish Persistence

_"Fine Line"_

_"The world only goes around by misunderstanding" -Charles Baudelaire  
_

_Chapter 8: Childish Persistence_

* * *

_I stood by the door leading out of the host club with Shiraishi and Kajimoto, as Asuka was at the counter paying for our expenses._

_I hadn't realized how much time had passed; talking with them made me felt just at home, and time just flew by me without my realizing it. _

"_Thanks a lot for today you two." I said sincerely._

_Kajimoto smiled, and Shiraishi gave me that smirk of his. "You're very welcomed." He said almost cockishly. _

_Kajimoto rolled his eyes, and then slipped a card to me. "Here's our numbers." I looked down at the card curiously, seeing two different sets of numbers listed there. "Call us anytime if you need anything."_

_I blinked several times at him, and then looked back down at the card. _

"_Don't look so confused." Shiraishi rolled his eyes heavenward. "It isn't wrong for friends to exchange numbers now, is it?"_

_I started at his words. "Ah! No- It's just that…" It's just that this is the first time a guy ever gave me their number. Excluding Kikumaru. Sad, isn't it?_

_I smiled up at them again, a soft pink creeping on my cheeks. "Thank you, you two." _

"_Just remember to call us when you're done with the painting." Shiraishi laughed, ruffling my hair. "I want to see how I look under your skills."_

"_It won't exactly look like you…"I mumbled heatedly, brushing down my hair. _

_Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Asuka approaching after she finished up with some girls and hosts that she was with that night. _

"_Feel free to call us anytime." Kajimoto took my hand and gave it another kiss; a way of saying goodbye._

_I nodded. "I will." _

_As soon as we entered the elevator, Asuka threw an arm around me and grinned sneakily. "So? I saw you getting cozy with those two right there~" She cooed._

_I blushed and bristled. "I did not! We were just talking!"_

_She rolled her eyes at me. "Yea, and I swore off beer."_

"_Which you really should…" I muttered in response._

_She removed herself from me and leaned against the elevator wall. "Did you enjoy yourself tonight though?"_

_Smiling in thought as all my conversations with those two came back to me, I could only say one word. _

"_Yea."_

* * *

In the end, I suppose going to Club Sacred wasn't so bad. I didn't think I could feel so comfortable in a place like that; being it so loud and lively and all. I guess it was due to the friendly air Shiraishi and Kajimoto presented to me.

I tucked my brush behind my ear, as I took a damp ragged cloth and carefully ran it over a side of the painting, watching as the purple got lighter and lighter, staining the previously white cloth with its dark color.

As soon as I got home that night, I had begun the initial sketches of the painting on the canvas. I hadn't felt so motivated to work before. Usually I'd just force myself to produce something; something to hand in.

That time, I really wanted to finish the painting; start it and finish it, so that I could show them.

It's early noon on the next day now, and I had already begun placing down the initial layers of colors. I could already see a wavering visage of a man with ash hair taking shape; and the calm, brooding yet welcoming aura of another taking form.

Carefully, I placed a light blotch of light purple to accentuate the lighting on 'Shiraishi's' suit. Purple....I used that as my main color choice, as it gave me a dreamy and soothing feeling. And I wanted that feeling to be present in the painting: symbolizing the emotions that hosts like Shiraishi and Kajimoto evoked in women. But I wanted the painting to also show the competition between them; and yet, the friendship they harbor together.

I pulled back from the painting briefly, frowning. Perhaps I was being a bit too ambitious, thinking I could portray such contrasting emotions in one single scene?

My brush lowered slightly in brief panic. What if I couldn't do it? I can't afford to fail this project!

Biting my lip, I looked to my side and reached for a tube of moss green. It was too late for me to go back now anyways, I thought. I should just give my all on this painting.

But I could only groan when I found the tube to be empty of paint.

* * *

I wrapped my light jacket a bit more around myself. The winds that usually came with spring were blowing more often today.

In my hand, I held a bag of newly bought paint tubes. I was forced to head down to the art store to get more supplies, seeing as mine ran out. I could have gone to the school to get more, but then it was too troublesome to go all the way there.

Something in the window I passed caught my eye, and I stopped to look at it.

Strawberry vanilla ice-cream cake.

That's what I call a good dessert.

I was thinking if I wanted to get a slice of that- it packed a lot of calories, and I wasn't too active, so calories usually stay in my body and turn into fat….I was still a girl, and I still cared for my weight no matter how much I try to deny it.

As I was deciding on the pros and cons of eating the cake, the door opened and out stepped two men.

I didn't really register them until I heard a _very_ familiar voice.

"Ahh~ That was sooo good!"

"That's because you didn't have to pay…"

"Heheh~ Thanks for the treat, Jackal!"

"It's not like I wanted to treat you...You're always making me pay for your things, Bunta."

My fingers twitched and I could feel the blood drain from my face- Why, I didn't know. It just did. It wasn't as if he will eat me or anything…but I just paled when I heard his voice.

"Hm? Ahhh! It's you~"

I gulped when I heard his voice coming in my direction. It was quite obvious he noticed me. Hesitantly, I turned my head to my right.

"H-Hi…Marui-san…"

The man smirked, and then it turned into a wide grin. "Nice to see you again~!"

Oh boy. I could already feel the blood rushing back to my face.

….Must be PMS approaching.

* * *

Strangely enough, I found myself sitting at a table inside the café at which I was looking at the cake on display previously.

After a round of stutters and much hesitance, I finally transmitted the idea that I did not know if I wanted to eat the cake or not to Marui and Jackal.

Of course, Marui being the sweet-loving guy that he is- from what I can see- insisted I eat the cake and that it wasn't good to deprive myself. And so, I was pulled into the café by him, with a sighing Jackal following.

As of now, I was poking at the cake I so desired to eat. I had successfully ate half of it, although quite guiltily. I should probably look into a gym around my home soon…

"You don't like it?" Came Marui's voice, confused and disheartened. Although that soon changed into something more cheeky. "Can I have it then?"

Instantly, Jackal turned to glare at his friend. "Bunta, you just ate your 7th cake for the day! Let Ishimaru-san eat hers in peace." He reprimanded.

"But she doesn't even want it!"

Jackal rolled his eyes. "Don't decide things by yourself!"

I laughed nervously at their sudden argument over my cake; so I quickly picked up my fork and ate away at it.

Marui pouted when he saw me finishing the cake, and he looked over his shoulder at the freezer where more cakes were held.

Jackal noticed. "No more, Bunta." His voice was final.

Marui sighed in defeat. "Fine….but it's Jackal's treat this time."

Jackal nearly slipped out of his chair at his statement, and quickly looked at Bunta in exasperation. "I paid for you just now as well!"

"You're paying for Kumiko-chan this time~" Marui whistled out. And I quickly interjected. "Ah, no, it's okay…I'll pay for myself."

I saw Jackal's eyes twitch in annoyance when Marui merely ignored him, and sending me eye signals instead. My head only tilted in clueless response, not understanding what he was trying to do with all those weird narrowing, widening, twitching, quirking and bending of his eyes.

In the end, Jackal still sighed, and his shoulders slumped in defeat. "I'll pay for you, Ishimaru-san."

"No! It's alright, Kuwahara-san." I reassured him. But he shook his head. "This guy here will yap to me about it later if I don't. And it's only right that I do, seeing that he did trouble you into eating."

"Oi,oi. Don't speak as if I'm not here…" Marui muttered, scraping more cream off his empty plate and eating it.

Jackal brushed off his comment, and stood to head to the counter to pay.

I watched him go for a moment, before looking down at the table. "I feel bad for Kuwahara-san…."

"Hmm? Why?"

My eyes narrowed slightly, and I made myself look at Marui straight in the eye, even if that caused my heart to raise a mile, strangely enough. "You're oppressing him."

Marui's eyes widened at my accusation. "I'm not!" He denied indignantly.

"Well, you're making him pay for you!"

"He's paying for you too!"

"Only once! Besides, it's cause you made him!" I crossed my arms and looked away, unable to hold the stare with him any longer. "You shouldn't bully him like that."

Marui leaned back in his seat, eyes rolling heavenwards. "I'm not bullying him! He's a nice guy! So he treats me!"

"Not by his will!"

Marui waved his hand airily. "Nah~ we go a long way back. He's used to this."

"………….." My heart went out to Jackal.

"We're pretty close you know." He shrugged his shoulders. "So I don't really see a problem. Since what he gives me goes back to him one way or another."

"How so?" I was genuinely curious as to how money Jackal lost can be returned to him…Marui didn't seem like the type of person who pays someone back. Speaking of which, he still owes me money for the candies I bought for him- although I offered to pay for him in reality.

"Well, I do him favors…"

"Like?"

He drummed his fingers against his cheek in thought for a moment. "I get him discount vouchers for buffets!"

Unknown to me, my mouth slacked at his answer. Discount vouchers to buffets? What use would that do? Its not everyday someone goes to a buffet!

"And I helped him get on the girl's good side during high school too~" I snorted internally at his answer. "And what did he do for you to do that for him? Get him to treat you more?" I asked, softly but sarcastically.

"Hmmm~" He seemed to not notice my sarcasm. "Well, other than treating me, he lends me stuffs!"

My brows rose. "Lends you stuffs?"

"Yea~ He lent me his notebook, his notes, his homework, his pens, his racket, his ruler…" He continued listed off things as he counted on his fingers. As he did so, my eyes shifted to Jackal's tall figure at the counter, waiting for his receipt.

Poor Jackal.

* * *

"So how come I don't see you at Club Prism anymore?" Marui asked, too cheerfully in my opinion.

Why are they still here?! I thought that they would leave as soon as I finished the cake. But nooo~ Marui just had to suddenly decide to go to a place that was 'in the same direction' as my apartment.

"I only went there originally because Aya-chan and the rest organized a party for me…I don't actually enjoy going to these things…" I muttered.

"Hmm~ And the second time you were there is only cause you got lost?" That was clearly an insult.

I flared red. "I told you why I was there the last time already! I wasn't lost…" I trailed off embarrassed.

He laughed. He just had the galls to laugh that addicting and joyful laugh of his!

"Don't get so angry. I was just joking. "He grinned at me before a green bubble emerged from his lips.

I faced forward, eyes closed in annoyance and embarrassment. I could feel my face still burning red; I seem to get this often around him.

"Bunta, stop making Ishimaru-san uncomfortable." Bless Jackal.

Marui pouted at him. "Well, I was just curious!"

The Brazilian man sighed. "About what this time?" Jackal never liked it when Bunta got curious. It always lead to trouble somehow; just like Akaya.

"Well, a little birdie somewhere told me that she was at Club Sacred yesterday~" Marui whistled. At his words, my face once again turned red from top to neck, and I coughed.

"W-ho told you that?" I quickly turned to him, but realized my mistake.

His smirk just caused the redness on my face to turn darker. I should have thought before I acted. I probably could have lied my way out of this, but I had basically outright admitted I was at another host club; _completely_ contradicting what I said earlier.

"Heeh~" A bubble popped. "I thought you didn't go to those things?" He snickered and I looked away in mortification. This was why I avoided social things with a passion. I make a whole fool out of myself. Unable to answer, I kept silent and continued walking, only at a slightly faster pace. The quicker I get home, the better.

"So? What did you think of that club? They are like a rival club, so we must know what our customer thinks of them…" Marui caught up to my pace.

I breathed through my nose, feeling the hotness on my face eroding. "I'm not your customer…" I clearly wasn't. I have only been there twice; once for free and once by accident. "Who told you that I was at Club Sacred anyways?" I frowned.

"So you really were there." Marui rubbed his chin, pondering. "Well, Oshitari has a cousin at Club Sacred." He shrugged again.

Oshitari…Oshitari Yuushi? The man that asked me to refer to him by his first name, and wore glasses? He has a cousin in Club Sacred? Don't tell me it's a family occupation or something….

"I see…" I didn't know who the cousin was; I don't think I've met him since the only ones I was introduced to was Shiraishi and Kajimoto…and neither shared the name of Oshitari…

The streets started turning more familiar as I neared my home; it was at this time that we walked pass the very same café I talked to Yura in the other day. Walking by it, the conversation I had with her involuntarily tugged at my mind again, and I meekly peeked at Marui, who was now caught in an argument with Jackal regarding Club Sacred and Club Prism.

How is it that this man can be so suave and just…cool, when he was within those pristine walls? Out here, he just seems like any other person…or kid rather.

He suddenly blinked, noticing my gaze and turned towards me, regarding me in his ever brilliant eyes. "What is it?"

Surprised, I jolted backwards lightly, cheeks pink and heart racing.

"N-nothing."

His eyes narrowed at me suspiciously, and I laughed nervously. I noticed that we were almost at my apartment, and I tried to get away. "W-well, I'm almost at my home now. I'll see you guys soon….or later…." Maybe not even later. "Um…never mind." I probably won't see them again after this. There has just been one too many meetings with hosts, Marui in particular, for me lately. "B-bye."

"Heeh~ You live here?"

Did he even hear what I said just now? It's like he completely did not register what I was saying and went on talking as if I had not said goodbye! "Yea…"

I stood there at the entrance to my apartment block, motionless, besides Marui who was examining the building and Jackal who just looked bored. "Marui-san, didn't you have someplace else to go-"

He cut me off. "How is the art block by the way?"

"Huh? Oh, well…" I scratched my cheeks hesitantly. I didn't exactly want him to know I was painting two hosts from their….rival host club, as he put it. "I sort of got out of it…" I still wasn't entirely sure how I am going to finalize the painting, so I technically wasn't out of my block.

He hummed. "What do you have so far?"

My mouth drooped down at his questions. "Why are you so interested?!"

He blinked multiple times at my sudden outburst; probably not expecting that from someone as meek as me….at least, that's what I think. His recovery was quick however, and he laughed. Besides him, Jackal was probably questioning the sanity of his partner.

"I just wanted to see whether my favorite artist got out of the things that lead her all the way to Club Prism on that one rare night~" He snickered and I could only give a weak glare.

But one thing I learned about Marui Bunta that day, as evident from him making me eat the cake I so guiltily desired….And from him entering my home.

He was one persistent brat.

* * *

**Hm =( I keep seeing these amazing traffic, but no reviews T^T**

***ish saddened- goes and mope*….**

**But…I need an idea…to find a way…. a reason…for Kumiko to go on multiple dates with different guys…hmm….this is…difficult….*dies* Anyways, I lied. I managed to put together another one. But I leave for real after this; for awhile at least..though when I'm done with everything (art, commissions etc) it'll be school again. Sigh.  
**

**Thanks for the review guys =] you guys help keep this story alive with it T^T or it would have been long dead haha**

**getsugan_kiyone : Haha Kajimoto needs more love anyways. And I don't think Shiraishi's on drugs…though he might as well be on crack, seeing how much he loves plants XD**

**demonsadist: yes, Shiraishi is a health freak xD pretty much most of the Shitenhouji team loves anything plant related lol**

**Lady Ladington: I can now type your name without looking to check the spelling xD But yes, the reviews tactics is working pretty well so far, though I might possibly implode from the pressure soon haha xD And well, about whether the hosts are doing their jobs as hosts or just plain throwing themselves at her, that's for you to find out and me to know haha What Kumiko would define as a fling…a date one day and never seeing them again or as a potential partner/ date.**

**PhoenixRage92: I'm glad you like how Kajimoto and Shiraishi turned out haha There is so little of them to go on that I was creating them base off assumptions, which has a lot of risk in making them OOC T_T Well, she met Marui now again. Now for a way to keep them together XD**

**I'll update when I'm back from HK! I leave in a day, and my friend from there will be following me back, surprisingly. Amazing how things can change in one day, when previously her mother will flip if she ever came to my country alone.**

**Reviews makes the story come faster ;D**


	9. Aya's Invitation

**Regarding several concerns that has been mentioned to me about Marui and Kumiko's relationship, I just wanted to say that I want them to at least fall into the friendship level first, rather than just jump head first to each other claiming eternal love and start kissing each other like nuts. They only met like what? 3 times? I know some of you may feel it's moving a bit slow, and the plot isn't moving, but honestly, do you exactly fall in love with someone just by the first meet? Sure, you may have a crush or something. But you don't just start declaring eternal loyalty at the go. I want to give a chance for Marui's and Kumiko's relationship to expand; that's why it's a bit slow =( Not only that, Kumiko is the type of character who, as you can see, does not open up to others easily. She needs time to get used to Marui.**

**So I'm sorry if you guys wanted action T_T But action is like…later. Really, really later. And maybe a bit of spirals downwards for either party, and/or maybe several other parties….I'm talking as dodgy as I could. I don't want to give too much away ;p**

**But please, bear with me, and give Kumiko time T_T Just imagine yourself in Club Sacred or Club Prism for now whilst Kumiko learns.**

**Oh and just so you know, since some people were wondering;**

**Club Prism = Rikkaidai + Hyotei**

**Club Sacred = Shitenhouji + Jyoseishounan…and maybe a bit of other characters from certain schools.**

**So yes, Kirihara is in Club Prism. Technically. I guess. Hm. Haven't decided if he should make an appearance.**

**And did anyone watch the new OVA's for PoT? Especially the episode Prince of Naniwa? 8D That episode wholly proves and supports the Shiraishi I created, giving me substantial confidence that I got Shiraishi down pat ahahaha –bricked-**

* * *

_"Fine Line"_

_"A real friend is one who walks in when others walk out" -Walter Winchell  
_

_Chapter 9: Aya's Invitation_

* * *

I didn't know why I gave in. It was probably because I was a pushover right from the start.

Arms crossed, I fumed silently as I made my way across the cozy living room of mine, heading towards the room where I keep all my paintings and materials. Behind me, I can hear the careful footsteps of Jackal, and that of Marui's.

The redheaded host had pestered me, not allowing me to enter the elevator, unless I show him what I had done so far for the painting. Why is he so interested in looking at a painting of hosts that wasn't even from his club anyways?!

I sighed as I pushed open the door, stepping to the side to allow the two men to enter. Jackal shot me an apologetic look as he did so. I gave a small smile back, not blaming the Brazilian man. It was his partner that grated on me at the moment.

Said partner whistled, his body bent over to look closer at the painting. "Heeh~ Is that Shiraishi and Kajimoto?" He asked, casting me a look over his shoulder. Jackal gazed at the canvas from across Marui's shoulders.

I blinked, astounded briefly. "Do you know them?"

"Not really a lot. We see them sometimes since Oshitari's cousin works at their club, and Atobe also loves to invite other clubs to some giant party at times, just to flaunt off his wealth and greatness." He rolled his eyes at the last bit.

I could not help but grin slightly, thinking that sounded so much like something Atobe would do. Basing from his way of speech and carrying himself the few times I met him, he did seem like the kingly sort of person; although he was also a very generous man….whether he gave generosity out of the goodness of his heart, or just to flaunt off his greatness again, I wasn't sure though.

The doorbell ringing shocked me, and I looked out into the living room. Who could be visiting me at this time, without calling, and during spring break?

"Err…I'll be right back." I mumbled to the two in the room, who did not seem to hear me and continued looking at the other paintings. "Don't touch anything!" I added just as Marui lifted a finger to dab against a canvas leaning against the wall.

Usually I do not get any visitors this abruptly, if I get any visitors at all. I mean like, who would want to visit the house of a timid, unsociable, weird girl?

I pulled open the door, just enough to allow me to peek outside to check who it was.

"Heeey, Kumiko-chan!!"

My eyes blinked at the familiar voice and familiar face. Straightening up, I pulled the door open completely. "Aya-chan? Yura-chan?" The two girls grinned at me, and Aya seemed more hyped and excited than she usually is.

"Kumiko-chaaan!" Aya latched onto my arm, forcing me back into the house. "I have great, great, awesome and exciting news!!" She practically cheered into my ears.

I winced, before Aya was removed from me by Yura. "What's she talking about?" I asked Yura confusedly, since Aya seems to be too excited to talk in straight sentences.

Yura shook her head. "I rather she told you…" For some reason, I thought Yura didn't look all too happy at the moment. I was about to ask when I saw disbelief and shock enter her eyes.

I didn't know what caused it, until I followed her line of sight. I cursed internally, biting my lip nervously.

The two hosts, Marui Bunta and Jackal Kuwahara stood at the hallway entrance, leading to my room and the painting room. And then what made me more uneasy is that now I have the knowledge that Yura doesn't really approve of host clubs and hosts…

"Ahh! Marui-san! Kuwahara-san! What are you guys doing here?" Aya asked, pointing a finger at them.

I sneaked a glance at Yura, to see what her expression was. She seemed…completely fine. Not a single negative emotion was present and she still had that same kind smile on her face….although it did seem slightly colder in the room right now. Maybe it's just me…

"Yo! Yunami-san, Hisae-san." Marui lifted up a hand in greeting at Aya and Yura respectively, a greeting that was akin to the V-sign. Jackal nodded his head at the two, greeting them both politely in turn.

A weight on my back sent me lurching forward, and Aya's sneaky and ever up-beat voice rang by my ears. "What is this?! Kumiko-chan! I didn't think you can be like this~! Having two guys, _hosts_ too, in your house, all alone with you~" She cooed, fingers pulling my cheeks painfully.

"I-it's not like that!!" I cried, looking at her in horror.

"Hisae-san, we're just here because we met her down at a café, and Bunta wanted to see the new painting she was working on." Jackal stepped up to my rescue, calmly explaining to Aya the truth of the situation. Aya pouted at his answer, preferring her version of the story better.

"Che…I thought my dear Kumiko-chan finally gutsied up!" Crossing her arms, she turned her head away from me in a silent tantrum.

Marui seemed like he was about to say something, but Jackal's firm grip on his arm stunned him into silence. "We should get going now. Thank you for your hospitality, Ishimaru-san." The tall and dark host said, turning to bow at me.

"But Jackal-"Marui started to protest

"Bunta, we should go. We've bothered Ishimaru-san enough." Jackal cut in, turning to face his partner stoically.

Marui's shoulders slumped and he sighed. "Fine, fine. See you girls soon~" He winked at us, before leaving with Jackal following close behind.

I watched them go, before turning to Aya and Yura. Speaking of Yura, she was quiet through all of this.

"Yura-chan…are you alright?" My question came out hesitantly. Yura did not approve of hosts. She did not approve of Marui.

"Huh? Hmm? Yea, I'm fine." She smiled and I was taken aback.

I expected her to blow up at me or something. But then again, Yura can't and never will raise her voice at someone.

I scratched the back of my head in cluelessness for a moment, unsure of what to do as both girls stared at me. "Ummm…tea anyone?" I shrugged my shoulders in the universal gesture of clueless.

"That'll be nice." Yura took a seat on one of my couch, whilst Aya took hostage of the other couch. "I'll have orange juice please if you have any~!"

As I dipped the green tea bag into the cup of hot water, I was wondering why the two are here. Aya seems pretty excited about something, and Yura is hard to read as ever, though I felt that she disapproved of whatever Aya had in mind again. She tends to disapprove of many things Aya and Asuka does, drinking and driving being one of them; although I disapproved of that as well.

I handed their cups of drinks to them and took a seat next to Aya. I let them help themselves to their beverages first, before finally voicing the question that has been bagging at me since their entrance. "So? Why are you guys here again?"

At this, Aya quickly spurted out the juice she had in her mouth, back into her cup –I cringed at this-, slamming the cup down onto the coffee table a bit too harsly, in my opinion. But I soon found this was due to her uncontrollable excitement, rather than anger of any sort.

"Look at _THIS_!" She shoved a piece of ornate paper into my face. A strong scent of wisteria entered my nose.

I removed the piece of paper from my face, carefully reading over the gold letterings on the pink parchment, wanting to see what has got my best friend so excited.

As I read further down the parchment, the expression fell off my face little by little.

"It's great isn't it?!!" Aya near squealed.

I looked up to Yura, who only shrugged at me, before turning to Aya, giving her a blank stare. "And…?"

Her shoulders slumped visibly, and the energy just seemed to seep out of her. "Well…" She became unsure and hesitant at my lack of response. "You're going, aren't you?"

I rubbed my temples, handing the paper back to her. "Aya-chan…you know I don't exactly enjoy this sort of things. Besides, I got so much work to do for class that I must finish by the end of spring break." I explained to her gently, seeing her downcast face.

"But so do I!! And so does Asuka-chan and Rinko-chan! But they are going!!" She protested, waving the paper around madly. I shook my head again. "Even so, the difference between me and them is that…well, you know I don't do well at this sort of things."

"It also said it's for the regulars…" Yura pointed out. "That excludes me and Kumiko-chan."

"So?!" Aya's eye grew angry, hands fisted against her hips. "We can bring one friend each!! So I'm bringing Kumiko-chan and Asuka-chan can bring you!"

I fell back into the sofa, slapping a hand over my face tiredly. I felt Aya grab my arm and shake it furiously. "Please, Kumiko-chan! Pleaaaaaaaaaase!!" She pleaded non-stop. "Go with me! It'll be so much fun!"

"So much fun for you…" I muttered. She only got more demanding at my muttering.

"Come on!! You're my best friend! We're supposed to stick out for each other!!Do this for meeee?! Pleeaaase?!"

"Well, what about me then?!" I looked at her through the cracks in between my fingers, exasperation evident in my eyes. "You know how much I dislike this sort of things!"

The torrent of words I wanted to throw at Aya suddenly ceased, when I saw her eyes getting teary, hurt pooling in their depths. I sighed then, and tried to think about this from Aya's point of view.

Let's see….I'm her best friend. And she did so much for me, always helping me out with my friends and even got me some of my most trusted friends that I have now; namely Yura, Asuka and Rinko.

She also specially arranged that birthday party for me the other night, going through all the trouble of planning and documenting issues.

And friends were supposed to stick out for each other. Aya wanted me to go with her, for reasons unknown to me. She could have just brought Kikumaru….although that would be weird. But then, Asuka and the rest are going. So why must she have me?

"Why do you want me to go with you anyway?" I mumbled, not daring to look into her hurt filled eyes, knowing I put it there. I cant deal with the guilt. I'm too weak for that. "Asuka-chan and Rinko-chan will be there to keep you company, and will be much more fun than me at this sort of thing…"

She was silent, and did not reply. I raised my hand partially from my eyes, to see her. She was frowning down at me.

"Do you even have to ask _that_?!" She asked me angrily. I blinked at her in confusion, not understanding.

"You're my best friend Kumiko-chan! Asuka-chan and Rinko-chan are too, but they do not compare to you!" She stamped her feet in her mini rage. "You've been with me since forever! I just want you there with me, isn't that enough of a reason?!" She cried at me, shaking my arm once again; and it was actually starting to hurt.

My heart suddenly felt heavy and filled with even more guilt than before. I hadn't really thought about what Aya felt. She was friends with me, ME of all people in the world. She was such a outgoing and friendly girl, the rabbit; and I was the turtle. But she chose to befriend me instead. It must have been hard for her, being best friends with me. She always had to come over to my house to play when we were younger, or we go over to her house; never stopping by the park to mingle with the other kids, or heading out to the mall with the others.

She always went by herself to parties and outings; I never followed. It must have been difficult for her, especially during our younger years…those were the years people are most outgoing, always heading out for an event. And she never had her so called best friend beside her; to enjoy a manicure together with, to laugh at the movie screen with, to try out new clothes with…

Because I only thought of myself.

But Aya still stuck with me despite my hermit attitude. Never giving up on our friendship, when many have already gave up by the second year of middle school. Always bringing new things to me, and always arranging a birthday party for me- Every single year.

This year was no different.

I bit my lip, squeezing my eyes shut at the gush of emotions and thoughts running through me. Perhaps- and I really should- I should now do my part in giving life to our friendship; even if it pains me to the bottom of my soul to do so; filling every single inch of me with despair.

But I really should do my part as a best friend, especially when I had never done anything before. It was always Aya who did it.

I sighed and forced out the words, although I did not feel the despair. Because Aya's face lit up instantly. "Alright, I'll go."

Yura sighed from across me and gave in as well. "I'll go too then."

"Can I see the paper again?" Aya handed me the paper, a huge grin plastered across her face.

But as I read through the pink parchment again, the heavy wisteria scent invading my sense, my heart just could not flutter or leap in joy, even at the thought of attending such a grand and privileged event.

_**To the Dear Regulars of Club Prism~**_

_It is with great pleasure that I invite you to the annual Prisma Festival, a__ festival for our Club that celebrates its success and beginning._

_To receive this invitation signifies that your well-appreciated patronage to our club has been recognized by its members, and this is a way of our saying thanks._

_You are free to bring along a single companion with you to the festival, which shall take place over a course of 3 days and 2 nights at the Atobe Crystal Palace. _

_Directions and a map has been provided in the envelope._

_This year, our festival will be celebrated with a few select other Host Clubs that too, has enjoyed luxurious success due to its ever loyal customers, as with you._

_So it is with great joy and pleasure, that we invite you to join us at the Prisma Festival this year~_

_We hope to see you there._

_Sincerely,_

_Atobe Keigo  
_

_

* * *

_

**Lul. I'm such a bad author.**

**demonsadist- haha but its painful to make the guys all evil and manipulate her T_T and yes, Kenya is in there =D As I said at the top, most of Shitenhouji is in, combined with most of Jyoseishounan =]  
**

**PhoenixRage92- They say opposites attract ;p We'll just see what my pudding brain pulls out later xp I sort of have a scenario in mind, but not sure if I will use it. For now, I'm focusing on fleshing out Kumiko and the other characters, seeing who goes into play and what not. And also expanding Kumiko's relationship with Marui. What I hate most is a fic that makes them fall in love right off the bat =(  
**

**Lady Ladington- I kinda answered your question on Kirihara at the start...I guess haha XD And I feel Kirihara can be a host =0 his selling point would be his seaweed hair 3 And I'm sorry about the plot if you feel it aint moving forward =( but I already voiced my thoughts on it at the start. Sorry again! T_T **

**kagami.95smiles- haha that might work xp I'll see how things turn out haha. Thanks for reviewing! =]**


	10. Atobe's Crystal Palace

**Hmph =(**

**lol yea, I know. Long ass chapter with hardly anything interesting. I like to do that. Me and my digression- it kills people

* * *

**

_"Fine Line"_

_"No matter what age you are, or what your circumstances might be, you are special and you still have something unique to offer." - Barbara De Angelis_

_Chapter 10: Atobe's Crystal Palace_

* * *

Through most of the drive to this Crystal Palace place, I was silent, stuck in my own world in the back of the car, aimlessly staring out the window; watching the country scenery pass by me.

It was a Friday, and I have yet to finish all my work for class. Or rather, I did finish it, but they were all rushed. Nothing that I really liked or wanted to do. The only one that I was actually satisfied with was the painting of the two hosts from Club Sacred.

Given the little amount of time I had to complete my tasks as we left for the festival on Friday morning, I had no choice but to quickly whip up a digital painting and randomly take a photograph of a subject and edit that. I knew I was going to fail those two projects, that's for sure. I might be able to get an A- on the painting though…as long as I come up with a reasonably good paragraph on what I am trying to depict there….also because our art lecturer was weird- he always preaches:

"There is no such thing as perfection. Getting an A+ means perfection. So there is no way that any of you can get an A+."

Can you believe that old man?! We can't get A+'s!! I'd love to know Shiraishi's thoughts on this.

Beside me, Aya was on the phone with Kikumaru, repeatedly reassuring him that she will be fine. Rinko sat on the other side of Aya, and Yura sat at the front seat, keeping an eye on Asuka's driving attitude.

"I'll be fine, okay?!" Aya laughed into the phone. She paused, listening to what Kikumaru was saying, I guessed. "You know I love you, so don't worry." The girl rolled her eyes at me and I could only smile back at Kikumaru's worry over his girlfriend. But then, he has good reason to. His girlfriend _visits_ hosts clubs and is now _heading_ to a host club ran festival. I think he has all the rights to fret.

Hard rock music blared out from Asuka's car stereo, and the fiery headed girl bobbed her head to it whilst driving. Yura kept her eyes trained on Asuka's hands and feet, making sure they never left the wheel and pedal. Rinko, as she usually does, is listening to Aya's conversation with Kikumaru closely, wanting to be up-to-date on the latest news and gossip.

I sat up straight in my seat, as something outside the window caught my attention- A house, located up a fairly tall hill.

A very large house.

"More like a mansion." Aya gaped out. I was startled. Did I say that out loud?

But it did not matter, because as our car got closer and closer to the road leading up to the hill, the view of the mansion got better and clearer.

I pressed my face into the window, trying to get a better look. "Wow…" It was all I could manage, for I was blown away by the size of the place. And this was only the front view!

Asuka seemed to have slowed down the car unconsciously, as I noticed that the landscape outside was passing by much slower than before. Before I could say anything however, Aya had clamped a hand down onto Asuka's shoulders. "Drive faster!!"

And the girl could only oblige.

"Eeee!" I squealed as I was thrown back into my seat from the sudden lurch. My heart was still pounding from the scare and shock when we arrived at the front gates of the mansion.

Maybe palace should be the right term. Because that was what it was called in the letter.

And also because the glaring and glittering words "Atobe Crystal Palace" showered us in its shimmering glory from atop the gates. "Shit...Atobe is loaded." Asuka murmured as the gates opened for us automatically, and Asuka drove in carefully- which was a first.

Rinko asked her about this, but Asuka shot her a small exasperated glare. "Well, I don't want to be paying for any damages here! I'd go broke!"

We laughed, agreeing with her. Everything looked so expensive out here! A huge fountain, seemingly made out of purely marble and crystal was perched in the center of the main courtyard. Crystal clear water –excuse the bad pun- sprung out from the fountain top, where statues of two winged figures stood.

A man in a black suit approached the driver's seat window, and Asuka rolled down the window.

"Your invitations please?" He put out a gloved hand.

Asuka handed him three pieces of paper- the invitations they had received. After confirming that they were legit, he nodded and gestured for Asuka to drive down a lane.

The lane we drove down was lined on one side by ornate bushes, decorated with silver orbs which I suspected would light up at night. Colorful and various papers streamers also hung about these bushes, a neatly folded paper crane placed at regular intervals along them. On the other side of the lane, a small canal ran back towards the mansion.

We arrived at various steel and concrete shelters, also strung with streamers and banners on the sides. The words "Prisma Festival" were painted across each banner in a brilliant gold against a white background.

"I…guess we're supposed to park the car here." Yura mumbled, looking around at the small collection, but expensive cars at some of the shelters. "They must be for the guests attending. I bet this place will be full by tonight!" Rinko commented.

Selecting a spot, Asuka parked and we all got off, taking our luggage with us.

Several men in black suits similar to the one at the front gate quickly approached us and took our bags.

"Welcome to Atobe's Crystal Palace." One of them bowed to us. He had a mock of smooth blonde hair and brilliant green eyes. "My name is Remey. Please, allow us to handle your baggage." He gently removed the duffel Rinko held in her hand and handed it to another man waiting behind him, who took it away.

"May I please have your names?" He asked. And we quickly gave him our names, and he wrote them down on a clipboard. "Thank you. We shall have all your bags delivered to your assigned rooms."

"We get our own rooms?" Asuka muttered, quite gleefully to herself. Yura nudged her in the side.

Remey smiled at Asuka. "Yes, Chiyoko-san. All guests will be assigned their own rooms for the course of their stay here. You are also free to request to be paired up with a companion in a single room."

"We're good with a whole room for ourselves!" Rinko clapped her hands together in joy, but I frowned at her, finding that slightly rude.

"Very well then. But please, follow me this way~" He gestured out towards another small pathway at the side of the parking area. Obediently, we followed him, just as we heard another car rumbling up the lane to the parking area.

Every single inch of the place that we passed by seemed to have been planned ahead of time and then placed there- everything was so beautiful! And they all fell into place together to create a wondrous outdoor area.

I was so absorbed in the surroundings that I failed to notice that Aya had came to a stop in front of me, and I rammed right into her. "S-sorry…" I apologized, rubbing my bruised nose. Aya rolled her eyes at me, before looking back in front.

We had come to a stop….by a canal? I was quite confused. There wasn't any place else for us to go, as it was all forest areas (the trees were decorated with fairy dolls, decked in geisha clothing) on the sides. It looked like it was the same canal that we saw while driving down the lane just now, judging from the polished cherry wood that it was made from. The water filling the canal flowed down in one direction- the direction of the mansion- calmly.

All five of us were clearly confused as to why we were here. Isn't the festival taking place at the mansion?

But our confusions were settled and questions answered when we saw floating down from in between the forest areas, a moderately large canoe, made of mahogany wood.

"Awesome! We're going to have a boat ride down back to the mansion!" Aya jumped up and down in cheer.

Remey smiled once again at the antics of our group, before holding out his hand. "Please~" He waited for us patiently to get onboard, good-naturedly helping each one of us in and steadying us.

"The canoe will take you down to the mansion. There, you will find a platform awaiting your arrival and my fellow staff will help you onto land safely. I hope you will enjoy your stay at the Crystal Palace." With that, two other men pushed the canoe forward, and we were set down a slow and steady trail.

The canal wasn't too large, and it wasn't too small either. Probably three canoes can fit side by side in the canal. I hardy noticed the rocking of the canoe, when I usually would have become queasy. We were being taken down a trail that showed us the beauty of the land.

Greens upon greens everywhere, and fresh mountain air permeated our sense. Everything was so well-placed, and beautifully made; the whole place was well-balanced: a perfect balance between nature and human creations.

Not a single tree, bush, hedge or shrub was left unattended. Each and every one of them has been well-trimmed and kept, and decorated with the appropriate banners, streamers, papers, origami's and lights.

Our canoe trip ended all too soon, and I got off it sadly, wishing I could take another round. Asuka saw my glum face and threw an arm around my shoulder. "Aww, come on, cheer up! We'll see more beautiful things inside, and most of them will be live and free to interact with~" She winked at me and I blushed heavily, quickly understanding what she meant.

A waiter pointed us to the direction of the mansion, and we were left to wander there at our own pace. If I had kept a diary, the whole book itself will not be enough to contain my writings on this place.

"I'm going to have to take some pictures of this place later…I hope Atobe-san won't mind…" A sigh escape me, when the thought of him not allowing me to take pictures emerged. This place was too ornate and gorgeous for me to not have at least a picture of it to keep as a memory.

But man, if I thought outside was beautiful, clearly I was a nutcase.

Because the inside completely left me stoned.

--

Several guests were already here, most of them women although some had male companions with them. I could tell those males were not hosts for they did not compare in aesthetics- as mean as that sounded, it was the truth.

"Oh…OH!O-o-oohhh!! The have a WINE fountain!!" Asuka squealed in absolute ecstasy, dashing to the fountain where red liquid was freely flowing. The girl took a deep breath at the edge of the fountain, releasing it in pure bliss.

Without wasting a moment any longer, she grabbed a glass from the table beside the fountain, and quickly filled it to the brim.

Aya and Rinko, and even Yura each got a glass of wine for themselves. I did not however. They did not force me to drink any this time either, thank the lords. I still wasn't a very strong drinker.

A very familiar figure approached us, after his entrance into the reception hall.

"Ah~ Atobe-san!!" Aya and Asuka waved him down, and the man smirked his ever heart-stealing smirk.

"Yunami-hime, Chiyoko-hime, Hisae-hime, Okuda-hime…" As he greeted each of them, he kissed each of their knuckles in turn. And finally, it was my turn. "And Ishimaru-hime…" I had hid my hands behind me when I saw him greeting the others; he only raised an amused eyebrow at this. But I was appalled and taken off guard when he bent over and placed a kiss on my cheek.

On my cheek!!

I flared red instantly. I could hear Asuka snickering into her palms and Aya pulling out a low whistle.

"It is custom for Club Prism hosts to greet all guests with a kiss~ Be it on the hands, cheeks, or lips." Atobe told me, smirking down at my red face. Was he serious?! If he could not get my hand, he'd get my cheeks?! His expression though, just screamed that he was out to get me or something however, rather than it being a custom.

A glass of fresh apple juice suddenly appeared in front of me, and I shyly took it from Atobe, making sure not to let our hands touch. "T-thank you…" He must have hailed it down from one of the many waiters moving around…

He whipped a lock of his glossy hair from his eyes, an air of superiority and power radiating off him.

"So Atobe-san, just what will we do at this festival?" Aya hopped up to him and ask, briefly patting me on the shoulder- She was probably telling me to calm down and quell the red on my face.

Atobe smirked again, eyes closing as he straightened up. "Different activities will be held during this festival, and you are free to go to whichever activity you want. A timetable and map has been provided at each of your rooms. You can also access a timetable and map at any of our computers and HD televisions located throughout the palace."

Now only did I notice that large 60" HD television embedded into the wall at one end of the reception hall…where more and more people seem to be entering now.

"The festival will officially commence at 12pm sharp, after the opening ceremony which shall take place in the backyard." He pointed to a large arch behind him, which lead into another room which probably will lead us to the backyard…

"After that, you can go and take part in any of the activities you want. There will also be group events and competitions of course~ all are listed in your timetable, along with their locations. There are also events which, when it's about to begin, all other activities will be stopped since all staff hands, and hosts are required… or most of them at least-such as the Inuyama parade."

"You'll be having parades?!"Both Aya and Rinko asked together in astonishment. Parades were no joke, and usually took a lot of money, time and effort to pull out.

I quirked an eyebrow. Inuyama parade? Didn't that only occur in the Aichi prefecture…?

Atobe nodded at them, before noticing my dubious gaze on him. "With me as the head, we can recreate any activity, event and festivity you want, Ishimaru-hime." He smirked as I merely smiled back at him- fully believing him. After seeing this Crystal Palace, it almost feels like anything can happen when Atobe runs it. "Of course, it won't be like the real Inuyama parade. It'll be done in a fashion that represents our host clubs of course~" He added with a proud swing of his head.

"I guess with the amount of space he has here, he can have two parades going on at the same time…" Yura whispered to me. I nodded in agreement.

"Mah~ it'll take forever for me to explain every single thing that we will be doing here. It's best if you explored the festival at your own pace and leisure." A brilliant smile from him and I heard several girls nearby swoon.

Asuka laughed, downing her wine in a shot. "You're absolutely right! Let's go find our rooms and take a look around so we don't have to search later!"

"You can find the rooms directory over there." Atobe pointed at several computer panels on the left side of the hall. "I'll see you ladies later~" He smirked and bow, before leaving. He didn't get too far before he was ambushed by another group of women though.

Finding out what our rooms number were, we quickly made our way up; although if not for the helpful staffs, we would have gotten lost on the first floor already.

"Heeh! Kumiko-chan, I'm next to you!!" Aya pulled me into a headlock, and I grimaced. Not that I didn't like to have a room nearby her, but I disliked how she keeps pulling me into these locks. They hurt my neck.

I turned the knob of my room door- a pristine deep red color- and peeked my head into my room for the next few days. My mouth fell open at the size and beauty of it.

"Wow…." I whispered, fearing that if I spoke too loud, I might shatter some piece of ornate glass with my voice. "I can get used to this…."

"I know right?!" Rinko came into my room, her face glowing with pure happiness. "And the bed is so SOFT too!!" She jumped onto my mattress, bouncing up and down from the impact before snuggling into the fluffy pillows.

I walked over to the bed and fell backwards onto it. I blinked at the exquisitely soft bed that met my back, and my eyes closed instinctively from the heavenly feeling. A faint smell of azaleas shrouded my senses, and I could feel myself nodding off to sleep. Ahhh~ the pillows are so soft…

"Hmmm~" Rinko murmured from beside me. "I can smell azaleas…awesome….I got chamomile scents on mine…" She too, was nodding off to sleep.

"WAKE UPPP!"

My eyes snapped open and I flew straight up from shock. Asuka stood at the edge of the bed, eyes twisted into a glare. "The hell?! We came all the way here and you two are falling as-" She stopped, momentarily sniffing the air. "Is that azaleas I smell?" She asked us, raising an eyebrow.

We nodded back at her and she rubbed her chin. "Hm. I got wild crab…"

"Wild crab?" Rinko echoed, face scrunched in disgust.

"It's a type of flower known for its fragrance." Yura spoke from my doorway.

"Oh…I thought it was the crabs from the ocean." She giggled and Asuka glared at her.

"Well, it doesn't matter what or where they are from!! Let's check this place!!" Aya exclaimed, speed walking over to me and pulling me off the bed.

"W-wait! I need to unpack-" I stammered but she had me out of the door already. "Doesn't matter! Unpack later!!"

As she pulled me down the hall, I saw a antique looking grandfather clock, but it was made out glass…or is it crystal? I'm starting to blur crystals and glass together, after seeing so many here in this fairytale palace.

It was only 10am.

"We have a full 1 hour and 40 minutes to look at this place." Aya told me, as she looked down at a laminated timetable in her hand, and a map was held in her other. "The opening ceremony starts at 11:40am." She looked up and around, then to me. "So what do you want to check out first?"

"Umm…" I glanced at the timetable. After a few seconds, I decided there was too many to look at. "You decide."

"Great! I wanted to check out the visual room---"

We spent the next hour and 40 minutes exploring the palace, and successfully got lost for 3 times. But that was when the map was in the hands of Aya and Rinko. Once Yura took hold of the map, we were pretty much lost-free.

I don't know how many of those hosts I saw. Hordes and hordes of male eye candy were scattered throughout the whole place, and Rinko nearly had a hemorrhage from it. The girl fanned her red face. "Is it just me or is it really hot in here?" She grinned, winking at me.

I deadpanned. "I think it's just you…"

"Oh really? Because I swear I'm not the only one on fire here…" She eyed a host that walked by as she said this. I slapped my forehead at her straightforward and flirty attitude. That was what is bad but also good about Rinko. Although other girls might disagree when she comes upon their boyfriends.

"Heeeh~ Kumiko-chan isn't it? I didn't expect to see you here."

I froze at that really familiar voice. It was that annoying dude again…

The five of us turned to see Marui, fitted in a maroon suit that matched his hair and complemented his eyes. Besides him, was the hosts Akutagawa Jirou, if I remember correctly, and Niou.

I don't know why is it that I am always frustrated at Marui. He was a good guy, that I know. But I just tend to find him really annoying…

Jirou bounded up to me, and pulled me into a tight hug. "Kumiko-chaaaan!" His ever hyper voice rang. "It's been so long!!"

Despite my body stiffening and reddening face, I tentatively raised a hand and hugged him back. "H-hi Akutagawa-san…" I managed to get out, feeling the beginnings of air loss from his tight hold.

Jirou was hyper, and yet, I didn't find him annoying. This was thoroughly weird. Perhaps it's because I find this man so adorably cute? He was so innocent and just lovable~!

Marui…I don't know…he was friendly, and can be just as hyper when he wants to be. But he has a certain atmosphere of maturity around him sometimes somehow…and perhaps that's what's throwing me off about him. He can be intrusive, but so are Aya and Asuka. But perhaps what makes him different from them in my disposition against him is that Aya and Asuka are girls, and he was a guy.

In the end, I will probably have to admit that it was my insecurities around guys that caused my negative thoughts towards him. I don't hate him. I just find him quite aggravating- not to mention he tends to stay in my head for a long while after each meeting. And that was _really_ annoying.

"Oi, Jirou." Niou placed a hand onto Jirou's shoulders. "Don't kill her before the festival even starts." The silver haired man snickered, and Jirou instantly released me, a heavy blush on his face from embarrassment. "A-ah! Sorry, Kumiko-chan!"

I smiled, shaking my head at him. "It's alright, Akutagawa-san."

My eyes caught Niou's smirk on me, and I nervously looked at him. "W-what?"

He shrugged, eyes turning over to Marui, that smirk still plastered on his face. That same devious smirk was on Marui's as well. "Well, I don't know….perhaps its just the fact you're here?"

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

A pop sound from beside me, and I looked to see Marui leaning over my shoulder. "He means that, it is quite an unusual sight to see you here."

"Yunami-hime, Chiyoko-hime and Okuda-hime maybe…but you, Ishimaru-hime? And Hisae-hime?" Niou shook his head, amusement scrawled across his handsome features. "Especially you, Ishimaru-hime." He laughed and I could only glare down at the ground.

Great. This is all Aya's fault. Now I'm being looked down on. I knew I wasn't wanted anywhere anyway. I could hear Aya and Asuka trying to calm down a already calm Yura. She did not even seem to care or mind that Niou said that, probably because it was true anyways. Yura was the type that didn't mind what others said about her, as long as it was the truth.

A warm hand on my shoulder made me look up, into Marui's now smiling face."Hey, don't feel bad about it. It's just that we all thought you won't attend an event like this; but doesn't mean it's a bad thing that you attended. In fact, it's great you attended!"

I felt slight gratefulness for him for saying that. It made me feel less unwanted. But I wasn't sure why it was great that I attended…

"What do you mean…great?" I made quote marks with my fingers.

He grinned down at me. "We're having a art contest of sorts later on in the festival! You _have_ to be on my team!!" He clamped both hands down on my shoulders, staring me down with his eyes and daring me to say no.

I gulped. "Err…o-okay?"

"What?! No fair, Marui-san!! I want Kumiko-chan on my team!!" Jirou cried, flailing his hands around.

"Don't worry, Jirou-chan!" Rinko slid up to him. "I'll be on your team!!"

"Hmm? I didn't know that Okuda-hime is artistic?" Niou said in mock muse.

"Of course I am~" Said girl flipped her hair over her shoulders.

Asuka rolled her eyes. "Yea, and I'm the Queen of England." That earned her a glare from Rinko but Yura stepped in between them before they can start arguing.

"Isnt it time for the opening ceremony?" Yura asked in fake cluelessness- just to get Asuka's and Rinko's attention away from each other.

"Oh yea! Its almost time!!" Aya checked her watch, seeing that we have 5 minutes to get to the backyard.

"Just in case you ladies get lost, we'll take you all there." Marui stated, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"That'll be nice." Yura smiled at him in thanks, and I raised a mental eyebrow. Hm, I thought Yura didn't like him? Or maybe she didn't dislike him, just didn't like…ah never mind. I'm confusing myself.

The queer trio- no, not because they were gay or anything; but because they were such an odd team up- lead us to the backyard, taking us through shortcuts which we would have completely missed.

"You guys must be really familiar with this place…" Aya told them.

"Atobe likes to treat us once in awhile, so we come here often." Niou informed us with a casual shrug.

"IT'S SOOO SUPER COOL WHENEVER HE TAKES US HERE!! HE HAS THE BEST SWEETS SERVED EVER!!" Jirou exclaimed excitedly, and I could imagine little heart bubbles emanating off him.

"I have to agree with that!" Marui instantly piped up. "His chefs makes some of the best strawberry shortcakes I have ever tasted!"

Oh yea…Marui likes sweets, doesn't he? The day I met him suddenly flashed back into my head and I blushed. I said some pretty lame words to him back then…I hope he has forgotten.

"I still remember you bought me that whole bag of sweets~" The red haired man propped a hand on my shoulder. "Gift from an angel indeed~"

Sigh. Guess he didn't forget.

But I was lucky, because I knew Rinko and Aya was about to question me about that; however we had already arrived at the backyard and I took the chance to change the topic. "Where should we sit?"

The backyard, was huge as usual, had a large stage set up at the end of it. It was fully decorated as well with modern and traditional ornaments. Cushioned seats were lined up in rows all the way up to the stage, and waiters were walking around providing drinks and snacks. One came by us and Aya instantly grabbed a handful of hors d'œuvre.

"Did you know? They call these things 'Whore Divers' in Springfield MO." We all turned to find Shiraishi, and a man I had never seen before beside him.

Aya blinked multiple times. "Seriously?" She choked.

"Yes, quite seriously." Shiraishi laughed. And I could not help but laugh too. That was just too much.

"Ahahaha! That's brilliant!" Asuka chortled.

"Great to see you again, Ishimaru-san." Shiraishi greeted, lifting my hand for a kiss. Hey, he actually kissed it this time!

He turned to the other three with me, Asuka not included. "I believe we have not met. My name is Shiraishi Kuranosuke." He gave each of them the customary greeting that hosts seem to have.

I could see the telltales of a heavy blush on Rinko's face as she ogled Shiraishi.

"You're the one that came to Club Sacred the other night with Chiyoko-san, aren't you?" A deep voice unfamiliar to me spoke, and I came to face with the guy Shiraishi came with. He sported light copper eyes, and light brown ash hair, although it was darker than Shiraishi's.

He smiled at me and I could feel my heart thump a little. Too much gorgeous people…mayday….

"Oshitari Kenya~ pleased to meet you." As he kissed my knuckle, I blinked in thought and realization at the familiar name. Oshitari? Could he be…

"Are you Oshitari Yuushi's cousin?" I asked, as he straightened back up. He nodded. "Yes. You know Yuushi?"

"I met him once at Club Prism..." I answered, shyly scratching my cheeks. I didn't tell him that his cousin scared me somewhat with his straightforward ways.

"I see. Kajimoto told me about you. He said that you were an amazing artist." A light smile graced his handsome features, and if it wasn't so out of character for me, I probably would have fainted.

Hard clapping sounds brought us out of our conversation, and we all looked at Marui."Alright, alright~! Let's break up this flirt fest! The ceremony is about to start-" He was cut off.

"As hosts, aren't we supposed to flirt anyw-" Niou started to jibe at him but Marui cut him off in turn.

"Unless we want to spend the whole ceremony, we should get seats." A fine eyebrow rose, challenging Niou.

The other just sighed in fake surrender. "Okay, okay~ We'll get seats."

Around me, I can already see guests choosing seats and some were already seated. Most were standing, like us, and talking to hosts. I saw Kenya's cousin, Yuushi, some ways off, with a couple of ladies around him.

"Follow us. We'll get you the best seats there is~" Marui winked, and I saw Kenya and Shiraishi switch secret glances, rolling their eyes. I'm guessing there's a mild rivalry here, seeing as they were from different host clubs.

I walked beside Shiraishi and looked up at him. "Feeling threatened?" A giggle escaped me then and he focused delighted ash eyes on me.

"Not really. Although seeing as we're from different clubs, it's a bit of a natural reaction." He laughed. "But we're all good with one another."

A smile could not help but make its way onto my face again. It still intrigued me to no end that these competitors got along so well together.

Marui lead us to the second row from the stage.

"Is it alright for us to take these seats…?" Yura asked, worry scratched onto her face.

"Why shouldn't it be?" Jirou looked thoroughly confused as to why Yura was as so.

"Well, they _are_ the second row…aren't they reserved for the special guests and people?" I murmured.

Marui and Niou glanced at each other and laughed. Shiraishi and Kenya smiled at me. I blushed heavily this time; not only from the smiles but also cause I did not know what I did that was so funny.

Marui came up to me and flicked me on the forehead lightly. "You must realize, Kumiko-chan~" I winced and rubbed my forehead, but stopped.

His head had fallen beside mine, and I can detect a faint scent of apple coming from him.

"_Every single girl here is special_; _you __**are**__ special_~"

When he leaned back again, that same blush was once again on my face. But it wasn't from being scared, shocked, shy or embarrassed.

It was from happiness.

_Special? _

I hadn't felt like that for a long time. I don't think I've ever been that.

As the ceremony started with Atobe giving a much charismatic speech on the stage, I sat awed and silent in my seat, two rows from the stage.

The cheers and applauds of the crowd were drones to my ears, and Aya's and Asuka's cheers from either side of me were mere buzzes.

All that I heard in my head was Marui's voice saying that word- the word that has always eluded me, never coming to me, never being me.

"_Special."_

Is it even possible for me to be special?

But as I looked up at the stage, at Atobe and his proud figure up there, all the wonderful things surrounding us in the yard, all the beautiful things that my eyes has seen in this palace, all my dear friends with me, and all the gracious men that has so kindly opened up to me…

I felt that this palace was a fairytale palace.

Where special and magical things can happen.

* * *

**I actually wrote this a week ago, after I returned from Hong Kong. But only posted now...cause...well, I wanted to see if I could rake in anymore reviews by delaying :p lol I'm such a review whore and evil.**

**It didnt work though....sigh. Ah well.**

**I guess I'll just satisfy myself by writing and imagining myself in Kumiko's spot x_X; Though I'm getting a bit edgy and peachy now from my parents pressuring me about life and college...Losing my temper faster as each day passes by, and I'm losing all inspirations to write something beautiful and fluffy and humourous and worthy of our dear hosts T_T**

**Thanks for reviewing though you guys =D**

**Lady Ladington, PhoenixRage92: especially you two :3 Lol you two are probably the ones that keeps me going on this piece of crap xD**

**ansonozaki- haha glad you enjoy it =] thanks for reviewing!**

**PhoenixRage92- I hope I can even do fluff haha I maybe a romantist, but I suck at fluff lol D: they usually turn out cheesy,like the end bit of this 8D; I thought it was too freaking cheesy as I wrote it, but I needed my bit of cheesiness in there so it stayed x_X and I like relationships that goes slow haha they mean more than something that occurred overnight, in my opinion.**

**Lady Ladington- lol you're a winner of that bet, thats for sure D: eh, Kirihara can be a snarky host, and he's amazingly adorable as long as he doesnt go Bloodshot ;3**

**and sorry about Kumiko's feelings; I'll admit, they are a bit confusing and misleading. But I guess it mainly occurred because she isnt used to guys, and hardly ever got glanced at by any before. So Marui's attention and quite (in her opinion) forward actions towards her ignited those feelings and thoughts. And I'm hoping to have a lot of fun writing the festival~ I got a bucket load of random games for them to be put through XD And yes, I envy my own OC myself T_T I'd die to be in her place D:**


	11. 1st Hour of Prism Fest

**Lalala...dragging out the festival lol -bricked-**

* * *

_"Fine Line"_

_"No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear." --C. S. Lewis_

_Chapter 11: 1st Hour of Prisma Fest_

* * *

A groan crawled out of my throat, as I trudged through the crowd of femme fatales. It wasn't really packed here in this place, mainly due to the large space available. But it was still crowded enough, and this shocked me, especially cause this was a private event and I did not expect _this_ many attendees.

My shoulder accidentally bumped with someone else's, and I quickly turned to apologize. But the woman only 'hmphed' at me and turned her nose upwards, sashaying off.

"What a feline princess…" Aya shook her fist at the woman's back.

"You'll probably see more of them here, and some worse than her." Asuka commented, sipping at a bottle of beer she managed to snag off a waiter. "Hell, some of them will probably think of us as one too!"

It had only been 10 minutes since the end of the opening ceremony and I was already feeling fatigued. We're standing inside one large hall right now, and it was labeled the Jade Hall on the map. True to its name, various jade colored crystals and jade gems itself were hung about the room, and the chandelier glimmering above us casted off a serene green glow, accompanied by the other smaller white chandeliers around it.

I shifted around on my foot. "Can we….go to my room to get my camera-"

"No~" Rinko and Aya cut me off before I could even finish, each grabbing me by the arm and pulling me along. I sighed internally. I suppose there is no way I can go around at my own pace and enjoy this architectural wonder, especially now, when the festival has just officially began and these two as well as Asuka are itching to have some fun.

'_I guess I'll have to go around on my own later to get pictures…__,'_ But I shivered at the thought of having to wander around myself in this huge place.

Fate however, seems to be out to get me today.

My eyelids fluttered in confusion and cluelessness, before my head followed and snapped side to side frantically.

"Aya-chan?! Asuka-chan?"

No one answered me.

"……..Yura-chan?" I squeaked, feeling the beginnings of panic take hold of me.

Everything seemed to blur together, as I realized I lost them.

How did I lose them anyway?! One minute they were in front of me, the next they were gone!!

What made matters worst is that I didn't have a map on me. I didn't care if I got to any of the events and activities. I just wanted to know where the heck I am going!

Not knowing where I was headed, I started pushing through the crowds and going through various rooms.

Curse this palace! Beautiful as it was, it's too big!

Just as I was about to cry from the sheer panic that coursed through me, and the unforgiving feeling of being alone, I heard a familiar voice that I never thought I would ever appreciate.

"Marui-san!" I cried, in relief.

Always I had found that his voice placed me into a position of dread and annoyance, but I couldn't be happier this time.

He was the only one here that called out to me, the only one available that I knew in this place right now.

The man blinked in confusion when he saw my slightly pink eyes. "Oi….were you crying?"

I inhaled sharply, trying to cover up my sniff and calm my trembling heart. "N-no…"

"Right…you were." He looked around, and failed to see any of my friends with me. "You got separated?"

"…………" My head dropped, and I scratched my cheeks, not wanting him to see the flare of red on my face, and how much being alone in an unfamiliar place affected me.

A short and cheerful chuckle left him. "Hey, no worries now. You've got the genius me!"

I nodded hesitantly, and he placed his arms behind his head. "Atobe holds this festival to ensure everyone has a good time, so if he sees you crying with me, I'll get fired. So cheer up, alright?" He laughed joyfully, reaching out a finger to push against my cheeks, pulling my mouth up with it.

I could not help but put out a smile, even if it's just for his efforts at cheering me up. It was a silly matter to cry over, but it was something that I could not help.

I never wanted to come here in the first place, and I came because of Aya and also because I thought that I would always have familiar people around me. Suddenly being lost like that…I felt like a child who got separated from their parents in Disneyland. I might be in the most magical place in the whole of the earth, but suddenly losing the people closest to me would send me into an abyss of despair.

"Why are you here anyway?" I asked.

The usual bubble emerged from his mouth, but it was a pale pink this time. "I'm suppose to head to an activity I will be running. Had to walk through this hall to get there. Fastest way to the west side of the garden." He shrugged. "I'm also a host. I'm supposed to keep customers happy." He winked at me, before starting off in the direction he was heading to before he saw the disaster that was me.

I didn't very much want to ask this of him, but right now, he was the only one around…"Can I come…with you?" My voice was meek, like a damn little kid. I hated myself sometimes for this; yet, I couldn't do much about it for this side of mine always took over.

That shy and turtle nature of mine.

He gave me a stunning smirk, and that had two girls walking by ensuing into heated chatter. "I don't mind. I can show off my genius skills to more people then."

I would have deadpanned at him and left right then and there at any other time, but I needed company right now. At least, until I get a hold of a map for myself, which is in my room, which I cant find without a map…

Our trek there wasn't long, yet it wasn't short either. Mainly cause he got ambushed by girls from right and left almost every 5 minutes. And I would wait outside the circle patiently, feeling out of place, as he finished chatting up the girls and have them on their merry way with giggles leaving their mouths in torrents.

We finally arrived, and one of the most beautiful and feminine man I had ever seen came up to Marui instantly.

I recognized him as the host Yukimura Seiichi.

He frowned at the red-head grinning sheepishly in front of him, eyes narrowing into a soft yet harsh glare. "Marui, you're late."

"Sorry, Yukimura." Marui seemed to stammer. It only seemed like he did to me, because I didn't think that confident host can be afraid of someone so fragile looking.

I felt that I had to step up and take the blame for Marui, since he did stop to cheer me up and have my sluggish self tag along. But I'm also slightly scared of what Yukimura might think of me after…I didn't like it when people disliked me….

I gulped, and took a tentative step forward. "I-It's my fault, Yukimura-san."

He blinked, deep blue eyes focusing on me. "Ishimaru-san?"

"I…got lost and Marui took the trouble of helping me…that's why he's late…" I murmured, feeling uneasy under his gaze. I can understand why Marui was so afraid now.

But his eyes seemed to soften, and he smiled kindly at me. "I see." He turned towards Marui, whose shoulder has slumped from relief. "Still, it's not right to keep the others waiting. The guests have been waiting for the activity to start for sometime now. Everyone is already prepared."

"I'll go now and get the activity started then!" Marui piped up, and seemed almost all too eager to get out of Yukimura's unwavering gaze.

As he disappeared, Yukimura turned to me. "Would you care to join the activity, Ishimaru-san?"

"Ahhh…" I don't think I want to, without knowing what it was first. "What activity is it?"

"It's more of a competition really." He chuckled, and beckoned me to follow him. "Come and see."

I was brought over to an area with many tables placed in an orderly fashion. Each table had…cooking utensils and materials?

"A cooking contest..?" That was one I hadn't thought of.

"A mochi making contest, to be exact." The man beside me smiled, and he walked up to the front where a judging panel is placed. Marui was at the table, writing down on an elaborately decorated clipboard. Jackal was standing next to him, pointing at the things he wrote and correcting them when needed.

Jackal noticed my presence, and quickly gave me a polite greeting. "Would you like to join Ishimaru-san?" He asked me, quickly earning a feverish shake of my head.

"N-No thanks. I'll just watch…"

"That's too bad. You might win." Marui looked up at me from the clipboard.

"I'm terrible at cooking…"

"So are half of the other participants." He laughed, and I quirked a confused eyebrow. He noticed. "Most of these ladies are from refined families, local and abroad. They have chefs cooking for them."

"Marui, don't say that about our guests." Jackal reprimanded before turning to me. "If you wish to watch, you can take a seat here." He pointed at a group of cushioned chairs nearby the judging panel.

"Okay…" I hurriedly took a seat, and it was lucky of me that I did for the rest quickly filled up too. I couldn't tell if the other girls with me was there to watch the mochi making, or the hosts though.

As the contest started, Yukimura sat at the judging panel with one other man sporting black hair and black eyes. He looked pretty strict…

Marui and Jackal, along with several other hosts went around the tables, watching the women cook and making notes into their clipboards.

It wasn't all that fairly exciting, but the contestants seemed to be having fun making the mochi's with their friends and even strangers. I guess I don't find it all that fun because I'm sitting out here on the sidelines…again.

It wasn't long before the contest ended, and a winner was decided. I kind of expected it, but it was still funny and surprising to see Marui as the taste judge, and he went about eating up the mochi's rather quickly.

A woman in her late thirties (wow, people at that age still attends host clubs…similar to the woman Ootori comforted I suppose…) and her two friends won with their strawberry skin with red and green bean paste mochi.

I didn't know what it was that they won, since it was wrapped in gold paper. Waiters quickly came on set and cleared up the area, and Marui approached with a plate of the winning mochi. He offered the plate to me. "It's _really_ good~ want some?"

"Err…I'll pass…" I declined, and he retracted his hand, munching, looking down at me contemplatively. "You need to try new things more. You looked _awfully_ bored just now."

I bit my lip and glared at him. "No, I wasn't! And…it's none of your business!"

"Have I ever told you that you were a bad liar?" He had finished up the plate already, during our short conversation. A waiter passed by and he placed the plate onto the tray he was holding.

"Mah, it doesn't matter I suppose. Let's go." It was a order.

I gaped at him. "Go? Go where?"

His lavender eyes went heavenwards. "Come on, cant you take a chance, trust me, and just follow me without asking?" He seemed to plead up to the heavens.

"If…you're finding me annoying, I can go-Woah!" He had pulled me up from my seat suddenly. "I'm sorry, _Kumiko-hime_," He stressed on my name. "But as a host, I can't let my customer get away from me, or I'd lose business."

"But I'm not your-" I wish people would let me finish my sentences, because I seemed to get cut off a lot today. I followed him in dejection, feeling his warm hands holding onto mine.

It was still very annoying, how he intruded on my privacy, and his very frequent sarcastic and snarky comments.

But I can also appreciate him for that, as I did now. At least I wont be alone during this festival until I find Aya and the-

"By the way, you're going to join the Empedocles, a water event."

"W-what?!"

Screw appreciating him.

* * *

**Eh...the events of today and yesterday night in this thing called life made me lose my ideas for the festival T_T Lost sight of what I wanted to aim for with it...sigh Will have to regain it back through vigorous ogling of Marui screentime and nitpicking at a bunch of cheesy movies.  
**

**A vote here: Would you like the festival to be dragged out, or should it end quickly in 2-3 chapters?**

**Thanks for the review guys~ =D **

**SapphireBreeze19: lool Did it come off as jealousy? XD I did think of that as I wrote it, but I guess its all up to how the readers interpret the things I write called 'sentences' lol**

**PhoenixRage92: =0 how is it that sentence was so funny? XXD I never watched Hana Kimi, so I'm not too entirely sure what they did in there haha But this mochi one was lame lol lost my train of thought at 1am XD Hmm where are you from though? I visit Hong Kong alot, mainly to get some anime merchandise imports from Japan. Just got myself the new Prince of Tenis bromide set ;3 bought the whole box again haha *is going broke***

**xHakumeix: I'm glad you like this =D and share the same thought with me on characters falling in love after 5 minutes T_T I'm afraid that people will get bored reading this, cause they wanted quick action D:  
**

**Juunin: XD Yush, MaruiXKumiko-chan haha And glad you liked Shiraishi and Kenya with them xD;**

**Lady Ladington: I'd rather have a bear hug from Marui ;D And will something happen in the festival? Or will it just lead to events outside the festival? Or will nothing happen at all~? Thats for me to know and you to....well, find out? XD I freak when guys are forward. It scares me =( makes it worst when they are attractive too! I dont know about readers wanting a lot of chapters though. They might get bored with the lack of action and stop reading x_X I guess I have to know how to balance my writing out x_x Updating more? I'm not updating enough? =( I thought I was...this is the fastest rate I've been decking out chapters...usually it takes months at least... T_T But is this chappie fast enough? One day, lol xD but it was crap and a filler. Just a little more progress into the sloth pace of their relationship. Well, school opens in 4 days. Not sure about fast updates after that haha x_X**


	12. Empedocles And Fire

_"Fine Line"_

_"Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try."  
_

_Chapter 12: Empedocles And Fire_

* * *

This was mortifying.

It was mortifying in every which way! Terrifying! Horrifying!!

"I hate you Aya…" Oh, and I must be really mad to actually refer to her without a chan.

Anyone want to guess the situation I am in right now?

……………

……………

……………

……………

……………

……………

Hm. Guess not.

Well, to start from the beginning, but also keep things short, I was brought to this Empedocles event that Marui mentioned. And true to his words, I _would_ be joining it.

In fact, I'm _already_ in it, waiting for it to start.

Why can't I just have said no or left? Let's say these hosts- yes, these hosts, cause its not Marui alone- had a way of persuading you, breaking and picking at your mind's lock till you give in and give them what they want.

"Kumiko-chaaaan! Let's do our best!!"

Also because Aya was in it as well.

"Well, no not really, I'm still single~"

And Rinko as well.

But those two were in it, so why am I still so uncomfortable?

Four reasons.

1)We had been provided swimsuits. Which lets just say, I never liked wearing anything that shows more than half my skin.

2)This was actually a race. I sucked at racing. I can't even move well on land, needless to say land sprayed with water, and _in_ water itself.

3)This wasn't actually a small contest or event like the mochi making. It was huge. Most of the people at the festival are here, watching and participating. I don't do well with crowds.

4)This was a group match. Problem is, the groups consisted of one guest, ONE guest from the many throngs of female for each group, and two hosts. That meant two guys- two _very_ note-worthy guys- and one girl. Did I mention that they were wearing trunks?

……hm. Guess not.

So you all understand my position now? And hence, why I look like a sunburned tomato?

Yea, I hope you understood.

I don't think Aya and Rinko do though. Rinko seems all too happy with the situation and Aya isn't really affected.

That leaves me alone, with no one to wallow in sorrow with. Where was Yura when you needed her?

"……" I stood there awkwardly, between Marui- who was chewing gum even if he was about to get soaked- and Shiraishi, who looked calm as usual, absent-mindedly checking out the other groups.

"Chances of your team winning is 45%."

"Eeep!" I squealed in shock. I whipped around, eyes still wide from the fright to find a man with his eyes closed, and brown hair.

"Oi! Renji! Don't scare us like that!!" Marui huffed, patting the area where his heart would be.

Renji merely smiled, but he turned to apologize to me. "Forgive me for scaring you, Ishimaru-san."

I blinked repeatedly. "Did we meet before?" How did he know my name?

"He's our personal database, you can say." Marui shrugged, blowing another pink bubble. "Its creepy sometimes, how he knows so much about you, but the customers seem to like it~"

My face twisted into confusion. Why would they like it when someone knows so much about them when they didn't even give the info out?

"I understand their needs and their preferences, so everyone is always 100% satisfied." Renji said, that small smile still on his face.

Despite him smiling, I still get a very 'serious' sort of vibe from this host. "Oh..okay.." What else was I supposed to say?

"But really, 45% only?" Shiraishi asked from my other side.

"It should be at least 80% with a genius like me on the team!" Marui pouted. "Did you get your data wrong?"

Renji shook his head. "You and Shiraishi make up the 40%." He opened his eyes, and piercing brown eyes met mine. "She however, makes up the 5%."

"………………" That just hurt. It _really_ hurt.

"Don't say that." Shiraishi frowned in disapproval. Shiraishi could probably tell that I took a hit from that.

Marui crossed his arms and frowned as well. "Why only 5%? And why only 20% for me and Shiraishi each?"

"I can't give you all my data, but because I don't want you to come back with terrible performance either, I'll hint you." He gave a twist of a smile and a smirk. This guy holds scary resemblance to a mad professor or something…

"That 20% of yours comes from your natural physical abilities and as you would put it, your genius skills. Shiraishi's comes from his constitution and his absolutely flawless moves. Ishimaru-san however…" I stiffened, trying to prepare myself for the verbal bashing; although I knew Renji didn't mean it. He doesn't look like the type of guy that went out to harm people with his data. He was just straightforward. "We cant have any member from Club Prism doing badly."

"She clearly is uncomfortable with the two of you, and had been unwilling to join from the start. It'll cause problems for the team later on. The 5% comes from-" He paused, and suddenly shook his head. "Why don't you find out what that 5% is yourself, Ishimaru-san?" With that, he gave me a short bow and then turned and left to stand on the sidelines, a book and pen in hand, scribbling down notes as he went.

Soft patting on my shoulders brought my gaze up to see those of Shiraishi's. "Don't mind him, Ishimaru-san. We'll win. No matter what it takes."

"There's no way we can possibly lose!" Marui snorted from the left side of me, and I looked to see a determined yet childish pout on him.

Renji's words from before struck me like lightning. It wasn't pleasant to have someone tell you that you sucked….although he didn't outright say it. But I get the idea. I will probably be the one to drag this team down.

I heard a voice booming, announcing the start of the race, and instructions being given out.

It was a water filled race, and stretches out to various places of the palace, although it all still remained outside. I guess they didn't want to get the inside wet.

Aya was jumping up and down already, eager to start the race, and so were her teammates, a man by the name of Wakato (sounds really familiar for some reason) and a host from Club Prism, Yagyuu.

Rinko was teamed with Oshitari Yuushi, and she seemed to be enjoying his presence…and a host from another club which she referred to by Bane-san.

I can hear the crowds cheering, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. My subconscious was out screaming their voices. I was upset.

And angry.

Not at Renji. But his words, and what they evoked in me.

Cause problems for the team? As if I didn't know that already. I didn't need him to tell me that.

5%....20%...45%....what does it matter?!

They are just numbers, percentages!

I know I might be a turtle, both physically and mentally.

But didn't they know that turtles are mermaids when in water?

"Winning is all that matters." Shiraishi spoke up from my right.

"We'll finish this quickly~" Pop- another bubble burst.

Within me, I can feel my heart pounding faster in anxiety. I was anxious, and scared, for when the race will start, which is soon. I never did do well before in anything time related. But there is one difference from all the races I took part in previously in school and now: determination.

I don't want to disappoint Marui and Shiraishi. I don't want to be overshadowed by Aya and Rinko- not this time.

I wanted to prove Renji wrong. It was weird, even I had to admit. That very brief meeting with him had ignited this fire in me, which I had only ever experienced once before- and that was when Aya's feelings were on the stake, and there was the help of alcohol.

If I had to describe myself, I'd be the water. I go with the flow. I don't try to fight it. But…

"We'll win…" I whispered. Marui and Shiraishi looked at me simultaneously. I still had that meek look on my face, but I was churning with anticipation...no...determination, inside.

"100%!"

I'm going to go against the flow this time.

* * *

Renji closed his notebook, as he saw the race was about to begin. Someone took a spot next to him, and he smiled. "It's certainly a good chance to collect data."

The person snorted. "Of course~ Loads of them running and competing; they'll be demonstrating emotions and things you wont see working in a host club room." A pause. "So? What did you say?"

"Gave her hints that she was terrible, as you asked." He looked to his side. "I expect to have the data sent over to my computer as promised, Chiyoko-san."

Asuka waved a hand airily. "Yea, yea. Jeez, is data that important?...No wait, don't answer that."

"Any particular reason why you wanted me to put her down?"

Asuka shrugged. "Not really. Just wanted to see my good friend win. Aya-chan and Rinko-chan don't count; they win too often."

"And putting her down would help?"

"I was hoping it would. I remembered back during her birthday she was not willing to drink the champagne- but one look, just _one_ look from Aya-chan was enough to make her drink it."

"So the guilt factor?"

"Nah. Something else that I think Kumiko-chan has."

"What would that be, may I ask?"

Asuka rubbed her chin, thinking. Then she grinned at Renji. "I don't know!"

"………" He just lost a good opportunity for data, just because she didn't know. Oh well. He'll figure it out soon anyways, so it didn't matter. "Although I must admit, from what I gathered, the data I gave them just now is indeed true."

"….so you weren't lying to them?"

"No."

"So they're going to lose anyway?!!" Asuka cried.

"Perhaps. Depends on whether they can bring their percentages up, and whether Ishimaru-san discovers what that 5% meant."

Asuka huffed, dropping a beer can on the floor and stomping it. "Think she would?"

Renji smiled mysteriously. "I think she might have already found it."

* * *

"Ready!"

Shiraishi raised his head, smirking down at all those who made eye contact with him, sending most of them to the floor…as they were all females. "Ah~ Ecstasy!"

"Set!"

I wringed my hands nervously. "We're going to win…we're going to win…" I chanted to myself. I still had that same determination as before. But it was a different matter when you're only seconds away from beginning.

"Go!!"

"Let's end this quickly and go get sweets!!" Marui cheered as he took a running jumpstart, quickly outrunning both me and Shiraishi. I didn't know Marui was _that_ fast!

"Oi! Marui, it's a team match!" Shiraishi called after him. But the red-head waved a V-sign backwards, showing us that he heard.

Shiraishi caught up to Marui easily, and it took a little more struggle on my part to reach them, but I did- surprisingly enough.

After running about 160 meters, we came to a halt. The other teams as well; all of the teams from the start was still here, since it wasn't a very hard task in the first place- we just had to run.

But…

"Canoes?" Aya asked loudly, voice laced with confusion.

"Teams will now have to each grab a canoe and drag it all the way up to the canal using the path provided~ you can use any method you wish to get your canoe there faster. But of course, there's a catch~" The announcer's voice boomed through various speakers around the place. "Only two members of the team will be allowed to move the canoe along. The other will have to sit inside the canoe as they move it. So it's best to choose your lightest member~ and as you can see, in the canoe there are mandarins."

"More like lots of mandarins…" Marui muttered.

"The person sitting in the canoe can help their teammates by lightening the load, through throwing the mandarins out of the canoe. Of course, you are also allowed to throw the mandarins at others teams~ into their canoes, at their faces, anywhere!"

"S-so we have to move it and fend and attack at the same time?!" I cried.

"Seems about right." Shiraishi nodded. "Come on! We cant dilly-dally. Ishimaru-san, you sit in the canoe."

"Eh..erm, o-okay." I quickly got in, feeling my foot cooling instantly from the skins of the mandarin surrounding it. I hope I don't get hit too much…

As soon as I sat down, all the mandarins piling around me, Shiraishi instantly began to pull on the red ribbon attached to the canoe at the front, while Marui pushed from the back. Hurriedly, I started throwing mandarins out of the canoe at random as well, but I found that the numbers weren't going any less- Because Aya was throwing her mandarins into our canoe!!

"Hihi~ Sorry, Kumiko-chan! But I'm going to win this one!" She waved at me as her team sped up from the lightness of their canoe.

I pouted across at her from my canoe. "Kumiko-chan you-"Marui began but stopped when I suddenly grabbed several mandarins and aimed it all at Wakato's feet. He stepped on one that rolled by his foot and went slipping onto the floor. "Owww!" I'll apologize to him later…

Aya gaped down at Wakato, who was rubbing his sore foot and bum, before glaring at me. She took a mandarin and aimed it at my head.

"Eep!" I ducked and the orange fruit went flying above my head. I heard someone scream from behind me, and I turned to see that the mandarin had hit another girl in the canoe beside us square in the head.

"Uh oh…" Was Aya's only response when the girl focused angry blue eyes on her.

I ducked my head to avoid all the mandarins being thrown at Aya, and while Aya was busy with the incoming mandarins, I took my chance to quickly empty the canoe of mandarin, throwing some of them into Aya's canoe and that of the girl.

"Ouch!" Marui rubbed his head painfully, where a mandarin had hit him. Grabbing one of the last few mandarins in our canoe, I threw it at the girl who hit him.

"Nice hit~" Shiraishi laughed from the front.

"Thank you." I giggled, but was cut short when a mandarin hit me instead. "Owww!"

"Shiraishi, lets finish this quickly and get out of this battlefield!" Marui pleaded with the man, and the two of them quickly pulled and pushed harder. I tried to make it easier for them by keeping still and removing any more mandarins that flew into our boat.

As we reached the canal which we can now see, the announcer's voice came again.

We weren't the first to reach the canal, but we're one of the first few. Aya was not too far behind us.

"Teams will now have to row their canoes all the way to the platform designated~ your next set of instructions will be given there. As you can see, on the trees there are various decorations, cant you? Did you think they were only there for deco? As you go along the canal, there will be trees planted at intervals along the way. The number of trees will lessen as you go further up. Watermelons are hung in a net on the trees."

We looked down the canal, and sure enough, there were red nets with a ball of something in it.

"Teams will have to try to get a watermelon off the tree as they pass by it. You can grab as many as you want to give a disadvantage to the other teams. Note that there are only limited amounts of watermelons available, so teams that did not get one _will_ be eliminated. If you did not get a watermelon and there isn't any left, you can choose to steal the watermelons of the other teams."

"Go,go,go,go!" Marui pushed the canoe into the canal, with me still in it, and the two of them quickly jumped in as well. I grabbed one of the oars inside and started rowing as fast and hard as I could. Marui did the same, while Shiraishi stood up and waited for us to pass the next nearest tree. Another canoe was rowing beside us, and one of the hosts in there was also standing up.

"Ah! Hirakoba Rin!" Marui cried, pointing to the host that was standing up. Rin smirked and winked at us. "Sorry~ But our team will win this~ Water sports are the specialty of us Okinawans."

Shiraishi smirked back at Rin. "Hn. But that's only if you get the watermelon!!" With that, he lithely jumped and grabbed onto a watermelon, just as Rin was also jumping for it. Our canoe rocked lightly as he landed back down and got his balance, holding onto the watermelon protectively as Rin tried to steal it.

"Sorry, Hirakoba. This one is ours~!" Marui winked at him, and we quickly rowed away now that Shiraishi won't fall off from us rowing too fast. He passed the watermelon to me and asked me to put it under my legs to protect it from other teams.

"We seem to be first for now. We have to keep it up to win." Shiraishi noted as he looked behind to see other teams fighting for watermelons, and some people were actually getting thrown into the canal.

We arrived at the platform quickly, but we were not alone. Aya and her team was not too far behind. The girl shook a fist at me."Kumiko-chan! Watch out tonight when you're in bed!!"

I winced, waving at her guiltily before running off after Shiraishi and Marui, who was carrying the watermelon.

"The next part of the race is a gauntlet!! Teams will have to dip their watermelon in the buckets of cream given."

Shiraishi quickly did this as soon as it was said, to save time. Expected of him, to not waste time.

"Teams will have to run through the gauntlet with their watermelons!"

The gauntlet is actually a whole line of staffs and even the guests, lined on either side with a moderately large path in the middle. Each person was armed….with a water gun?!

"They don't hurt…right?" I gulped. I heard stories of people being hospitalized from being shot at with a water gun that has high pressure….

"Teams will have to try to avoid their watermelon being sprayed by the water guns as much as possible! You must have at least a little bit of the cream on your watermelon when you reach the end, or else you must start all over. But be careful! It's reaaally hot today~ The cream might completely melt off the watermelon before you reach the end!"

And true enough, we can see the cream beginning to melt on the watermelon already. Marui dunked it back into the bucket.

"So its all about speed…and defense." Shiraishi eyed the path for a moment before looking at me and Marui. "Alright. Follow my lead. We'll move so that we can avoid the reach of most of the guns. Ishimaru-san, hold onto the watermelon and run directly behind me. Marui, run by Ishimaru-san and take any of the water aimed at her."

Marui sighed. "I'm playing the barrier then."

"There isn't an attacking side to this after all~" Shiraishi chuckled. His eyes suddenly narrowed, when he spotted a few more teams coming up. "Let's go!!"

"W-wha-hey! Wait!!" I cried, quickly running after him. He took off so abruptly that I was taken off guard. With as much accuracy as possible, I followed the steps he took; instead of running straight ahead and being an easy target, Shiraishi was moving diagonally back and forth, making it hard to the people to aim. Of course, he was also a barrier of sorts for me as he was in front. Marui switched around from back and to my left and right depending on the directions where water was being shot.

I got wet slightly, and I could feel the cream sliding down my arm. "It's melting!!" I cried. Due to its slickness, I nearly let slip the watermelon.

"Careful! If you drop it, we're done for!" Because a sitting watermelon is equivalent to sitting ducks.

"Ack!" Spluttering, I shook my head to rid of the water that hit me straight on in the face. Little sprays of water were still felt against my skin, and I peeked an eye to see Marui soaking, taking the shot that was aimed at me when I was off guard.

"Quick!" He urged me on, and my steps quickened automatically, seeing the cream nearly all gone- either melted or sprayed on.

We were almost at the end of the gauntlet, but there was a constant waterfall of water being fired at the end, one which we had to get through and make sure we still had cream on our watermelon.

"It's not going to make it!!" I sobbed, hugging the poor green and white fruit closer to me.

"Yes it will! Just run through it!!" Shiraishi called back at me.

We only had a little bit of cream left on the fruit, and if we get hit anymore, it'll all be gone. Marui and Shiraishi knows this, and both together were trying to keep any water off me.

"Kumiko-chan! Keep running!" At Marui's urging, I kept running even though I did not think our watermelon will survive the last torrent of water at the end. As I ran through and out of the gauntlet, not a single spurt of water hit me. Marui and Shiraishi had both stood on either side of me, stretching their arms out and covering as much area as possible to protect me and the watermelon.

A man in white quickly came over to check that there was still cream on our watermelon, before we were sent off running again.

"That…was-!! Exhilarating!" I panted, heart still pounding from the amazing drama back there. "I felt like the Men in Black!"

"Or the Men in Trunks!" Marui laughed.

We had to go through several more tasks, one of them being an obstacle course that got us completely soaked.

We reached the final leg of the race- a large swimming pool.

During the several last tasks, several teams has already caught up to us, and Aya's team was no exception.

"Two members will have to make a mini-seat with their hands in the water, and the last member shall sit on them!"

"Kumiko-chan! Quick!!" Marui beckoned me frantically into the water with his hand. As I squatted to get into the water, the two of them each placed their right hand onto their left arm, and then connected each of their left arms to the other's shoulders- creating a makeshift seat.

"Eh?! I'm sitting?!" I was baffled, and instantly turned red again. I'm going to be sitting on their…hands!! "I'm heavy!!"

"You're still lighter than both of us!! Hurry! They are already getting in!" Shiraishi urged.

I looked to see Aya, and several other teams, and even Rinko's team, already getting into the water and picking up their lightest members.

"R-right!" Not wanting to lose and disappoint, I quickly got on, although I was burning, despite the cold water.

I wanted to win, and I still had that same determination to. But this was just too much for me to handle.

A man suddenly came over and handed me a purple ribbon. I looked down at it in confusion.

"The person sitting will have to tie the ribbon into their hair, in what style, it doesn't matter~ Each team will now have to try and steal a ribbon of _**another**_ color from another team by pulling it out of their hair~ Only the person sitting can steal and be stolen from of course~! So better tie your ribbons tight! But not too tight that its going to hurt when pulled~! You may eliminate teams by pushing the person sitting off their seat as well~!"

"Eh?!" I gulped.

"Once that person is down, the team is out! So lifters, take care to not let them drop~"

Shiraishi and Marui suddenly moved, eliciting a yelp from me and I held onto both their shoulders to keep balance. I looked behind me, where Shiraishi is positioned, to find Aya's team heading towards us.

Shiraishi looked up at me. "Sorry. But they were coming, so we had to move."

"Yunami-hime and her team are pretty aggressive." Marui commented, blowing a pink bubble.

"Marui!! No gum in the pool!!" Someone from the sidelines screamed at him, and Marui winced, quickly popping the gum and keeping it in his mouth. "Erk..Sanada…."

"Once you get a ribbon, the team will have to swim over to the other end of the pool, and run over to the lake outside the backyard gates~!" The announcer continued. Lake? I didn't see any lake within the palace walls..so it was outside the hedges surrounding the backyard?

"Aiee!" Another involuntary squeal came from me, as Aya swiped at my hand.

"Stay still Kumiko-chan!!" Aya cried, reaching out for the ribbon in my hair again. I had it tied in a messy ponytail.

"Who would stay still for you to grab the ribbon!" Marui yelled at her, eyes widened in absolute disbelief.

"She would! Wouldn't you, Kumiko-chan? For me? Pleaaase?!" She pleaded, giving me that same pout and face that she used to make me come here.

I shook my head. "Sorry, Aya-chan. Not this time."

She pouted again. "Fine then! This is WAAAR!"

She reached over from her seat and got me into a headlock. I winced, and felt her hand pulling at my ribbon. Being friends with her for years now though, I also knew where she was weakest. I started tickling her abdomen.

"Ahahaha—Hahaha!Hey!aha-S-stop it!!" She squirmed and squealed, and I continued to tickle her. Suddenly, she grabbed my hands and pushed against me, trying to make me fall off. I grounded my teeth together and pushed back.

"Woot! Cat fight!!" The host named Wakato whistled. 'Right on us too! This is the best, isn't that right Yagyuu?"

Yagyuu's glasses seemed to flash in the sunlight, but he merely frown. "Pitting women against each other is very ungentlemanly."

"Come oooon!! Get her ribbon!" Marui cheered, lightly jumping in the water from excitement.

"Marui! Stop jumping! You're putting her off balance!" Shiraishi exasperated from the other side.

The four men then stood side by side, two on the front of Aya and me, and two behind us, watching us two girls fight it out.

"Oww! Jeez Kumiko-chan! When did you pack so much fight in you?!" Aya cried, rubbing the part of her head where I pulled her hair in an attempt to grab the ribbon.

"I learnt it from you and Asuka-chan!!" I answered, before making another grab.

It was painful, this fight. If it went on for any longer, we might have pulled all of each other's hair out. But we were laughing, and enjoying ourselves. The guys as well, as they started to kick each other's legs to throw the other off balance.

In the end though, we got Aya's red ribbon. Shiraishi had accidentally stepped on Wakato's foot, and though we're in the water, it was only the shallow part- and so it had hurt.

"Ouuuch!!" Wakato's foot slipped again, and at the same time, I pushed Aya off her seat.

"Ahhh-!!" Her scream was cut short when she dropped into the water.

Without wasting any time, Shiraishi and Marui started moving towards the other end of the pool, and I turned around to shout out in apology. "Sorry! Aya-chan! Foot-san!!" I didn't know his last name, so I called him that…since he got injured in the foot a lot today.

I shivered when we reached the deeper ends, because I was afraid Shiraishi and Marui would not be able to hold me up while swimming at the same time. But they did it.

We reached the edge and they let me up before getting out of the water themselves- then three of us then quickly ran towards the backyard, and towards the lake. We can hear another team behind us, and I peeked to see Rinko with her team instead this time.

"First Aya-chan and now Rinko-chan..?!" I despaired.

"Must be a curse you have…" Marui said.

"There is a mini-volcano which spouts out steaming water underneath the lake~!" The now familiar and loud voice of the announcer came again. "The female of the team will have to swim down below to the volcanic geyser-the other two can come as well of course, to fend off any evil-doers from the damsel- and tie the ribbon around the pole there. First one to do that WIIINS! Only the female can tie the ribbon though, I mean, it's a ribbon after all! As if us dudes will know how to tie one~"

"That's guy on crack." Marui scowled, shaking his mane of red hair causing water to go spraying around.

"Well, I don't know what he meant by 'evil-doers', but not much we can do just standing here. We'll win, no matter what!" And with that, Shiraishi dived into the lake bravely, and Marui followed suit after a bit of hesitance. I took a deep breath and gulped, before wading into the water.

Before I could even get to my shoulder in water, Shiraishi and Marui suddenly emerged again. "They didn't even provide oxygen tanks for this! We can't see the geyser!"

"So we'll have to keep coming back up for air as we search?" I asked, dread filling me. I was hoping this would be easy and finish it quick. But it seems the last task is always the hardest…

"That's about it. The faster we find that geyser and get you there, the quicker we end this and win." Shiraishi told me.

"We should stick together though. If one of us other than Kumiko-chan finds the geyser first, it'll be troublesome to find each other again." Marui pointed out, and the three of us quickly agreed to swim within a certain radius of each other, so we can maximize the amount of space we cover and also not lose each other.

We weren't the only ones swimming about in the lake looking for the geyser now though. My eyes were unused to being open in water, but luckily, I found that they indeed did provide goggles in a box located at one side of the lake. Guess they didn't want everyone having it easy…

We resurfaced multiple times to get a new breath of air before diving back down.

A black gloved hand suddenly came from my side and grabbed the two ribbons in my hand. Instinctively, I pulled down on the ribbon, and a tug of war ensued between us.

The man, decked in a diving suit which covered his face as well, was suddenly thrown to the side by Marui who swam into him, causing him to release the ribbon. Our team resurfaced.

"W-what the hell was that?!" I gasped.

"Ahaha~I forgot to mention, we have…let's call them Water Ninjas shall we? Yes, the Water Ninjas are around and lurking, and they will try to get your ribbon from you. So boys, make sure to protect your princess~! If they took your ribbon, you can try to get it back from them though it's unadvisable. These guys swim awfully fast, and you'll waste a lot of time retrieving it. But there's also good news! When they are around, it means the geyser is nearby…hm? Oh? I wasn't supposed to tell them that? Oh well." And the announcer tuned off again.

"This is crazy." I breathed, still trying to steady my flow of air.

"It sure is. I'm gonna knock some sense into the person who planned this event later!" Marui grumbled.

Shiraishi, still keeping his cool turned to both of us. "Least we know the geyser is near. Let's find it, quick!"

He dived again and we followed suit. Although this time, Marui and Shiraishi stayed nearby, in case anymore of those…Water Ninjas came.

And sure enough, another two came. A bulb clicked in my head, and I figured we must be nearer if there were more of them coming. Hah, I felt like I was in a video game…

Those Water Ninjas guys weren't that hard to fend off. The event runner probably didn't want any real fighting going on, and real injuries to occur so he had them go easy on us. All Marui and Shiraishi ever did was struggle with them a bit, trying to push them back, and after sometime, they'd leave- which was a good thing. I didn't want anyone to get hurt from this.

My eyes squinted in the water when I saw some white fogs ahead. Fog in the water? It then hit me what it was and I quickly resurfaced, the other two following suit. "The geyser!" I whispered to them quietly, not wanting to alert the other teams.

Marui dunked his head into the water to check, and sure enough, he resurfaced with a huge grin on his face.

The three of us quickly dived down to the geyser, and there it was, a small mountain of rocks and sand, sprouting warm water out from it.

As we swam towards it, more of those Water Ninjas came, and I was left to swim as fast as possible towards the geyser and tie the ribbon to the pole in the center of it as Shiraishi and Marui half-heartedly fended off the so-called ninjas.

But it wasn't easy. I reached it, but swimming close enough to it to grab the pole was an entirely different matter. The water surging out of it kept pushing me back, and I struggled against the current. I was pushed to the surface.

I gasped for air, shaking my head about. Then went back down again- only to find Rinko at the geyser as well this time, trying to swim to the pole.

No way! When did she get here?!!

I gritted my teeth and swam harder. I did NOT want to lose, not after going through all that trouble of getting here!! Not after all the effort Marui and Shiraishi poured into this race to get us here!

And I did not want to be overshadowed, not this time!

Not after I finally took Aya down, something I had never achieved before. I'm not going to let Rinko take that glory away!

Rinko was abruptly thrown back by the torrent which got stronger. And I was only still at my place because of the frantic movements of my legs and hands, pushing as hard as I can to propel me forwards.

I still had a gulp of air within me, and I did not want to resurface only to come back down. I'll be wasting time.

My hand reached forward to grab the pole, but it slipped off. And I tried again.

Bubbles emerged from my mouth as I let precious air out little by little, feeling the energy drain from me as lack of air weakened my body and dampened my will.

'_If Aya-chan was here in my place right now…'_ I thought, squeezing my eyes shut. _'She wouldn't give up, would she?!'_

I gave one last push, my final effort, to reach the pole. With desperation, I reached for the pole and clung onto it, fingers turning white as I held on tightly.

The last of my air left me in a school of bubbles.

With one shaky hand, I tried to tie the ribbon onto the pole, but the gush of water was making things difficult.

'_Come on, come on!'_

I started to see spots from lack of air, but I kept going, trying to get the two darned ribbons on. I bet my parents would be cursing me, if they found I had died in a stupid contest trying to tie two ribbons onto a pole located in a geyser.

But I didn't want to lose. I really didn't!!

I dont want to let them down. I dont want to be the weakest link anymore. I dont want Renji's words to be true!

I wanted to make that 45% of ours…a 100%!!

Just as I almost lost all hope, I finally got the ribbon on, and my eyes alighted in joy.

All air had left me however.

As my eyes slid close, and all feelings left my body, all I felt was a soft touch to my lips.

* * *

**If Atobe can have a mountain of ice and snow built, he can definitely build a underwater volcanic geyser =D**

**Bahaha. I love making small things dramatic! Its really good for laughs~Lol so yesh, sue me for stupid events and drama xwX  
**

**Thanks for the reviews, as usual =D**

**But man, I'm on a roll! One fic a day!  
**

**SapphireBreeze19: I understand what you mean~ I probably would faint from himlooking at me, needless to say hold my hand~**

**PhoenixRage92: When he said 'my customer' then Kumiko replied to him saying the same thing, saying she wasnt a customer xD Marui's just a confident lil host like that~ Thinking everyone loves him xD But he said that cause he meant that he was a host, and although Kumiko wasnt his customer, he was still a host even if they are currently in a festival. And he must do his job as a host haha XD If HK is an exotic destination to you, Bulgaria would be for me xD I went to Europe too haha but never Bulgaria =0'**

**Lady Ladington: well, if you read chapter 11 yesterday, you read this one today ;D But they sell mochi's at your place right? Mochi's are reaaally good haha One of my fave foods actually. Especially those with redbean paste XD But my fave is still rice cake; literal rice cakes. Mochis are actually rice cake, but there's another type of rice cake in Japan lol I'm not too sure of the name, but my friends from Japan gave me a box before and it was SO good T_T why didnt I ask them for the name?! Yea, school is in 4 days T_T probably one reason I am updating like nuts. Cause I have nothing better to do right now (although I have a lot of commissions to go through...) and when school starts, I'll be busy =/ **


	13. Just Like That!

_"Fine Line"_

_"And it was gone...just poof!"  
_

_Chapter 13: Just Like That?!_

* * *

"Ugh…"

I could hear my own groan, and it rang loudly in my ear. My head was pounding, and my hand reached up to rub it.

"She's awake!"

"Urgh…w-wha?" I blinked open my eyes, squinting at the glaring rays of the sun beating down on my eyes. I made out bright red hair and light ash hair on either side of me.

"Kumiko-chan? You alright?" A familiar feminine voice spoke up from above me.

"I…I think so…" My eyes twisted shut again from the immense headache, but I pushed my body up from the ground. Once I adjusted myself and did not feel like throwing up, I peeked an eye open and looked around.

I was by a lake.

"W-what happened to me?" I asked, sending a confused stare to the three people around me: Marui, Shiraishi and Rinko.

Marui seemed to pause for a moment before replying. "You passed out."

My eyes widened in disbelief. "I did?"

"You ran out of air." Rinko shook her head. "That was really reckless of you. Aya-chan and the rest would have my head if anything happened to you. Luckily, Shiraishi-san was there!" Rinko grinned at me, and I casted a look at Shiraishi.

"Oh…Thank you, Shiraishi-san." I mumbled.

He smiled at me. "No problem." Pushing on the ground, he stood up. "Can you walk?"

I got onto my knees, and then my legs, to test if I could stand. I was able to, despite feeling slightly dizzy. "Yea…I can."

"That's good." The perfectionist seemed to sigh out, then turned to Marui. "Well, we won."

I blinked. "We won?"

Marui smirked, tossing his hands behind his head. "We sure did! All thanks to you, Kumiko-chan!" He gave me one of his stunning grins, and ruffled my wet hair.

"Yuushi-san has just left to go tell the event runners about the win. We didn't move you from here since we didn't want to cause any discomfort or in case it makes you throw up." Rinko told me, as she noted my confused look.

Oh…I was wondering about why I was still by the lake without any medical attention if I had passed out. Guess that was why.

"We should head back to the start. The prizes will probably be handed there." Marui said.

"We also need to get you checked up on, Ishimaru-san." Shiraishi came up to me, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"No…its fine, Shiraishi-san. Thank you." I smiled genuinely up at him.

We started heading back towards the starting area of the race, but as Marui walked past me, I could see him casting a weird look at Shiraishi.

My eyes were pulled off him however when Rinko nudged me in the sides; she had a huge maleficent grin on her face.

I leaned back from her, weirded out by the look she was giving me. "Umm, yes?"

"Shiraishi-san saved you, you know."

"Yes I know that. You told me already." I reminded her, raising an eyebrow at the pout she gave me. She wagged a finger at me and shook her head.

"You don't…realize it? Do you?" Her lips turned down.

"Realize…what?"

"You were underwater, Kumiko-chan. And out of air." She told me.

"Yes…so he pulled me up to the surface." My lips quirked in slight amusement at her obvious statements.

"…….." She was silent, as she stared at me through blank eyes.

"You were out of breath." Rinko repeated.

I sighed in exasperation, wondering what she was getting at with this. "Yes I kno-"

"He kissed you."

I froze mid-step.

My head turned towards her mechanically, like a crane that needs greasing.

She grinned at the expression on my face. "Aren't you lucky, Kumiko-chan?! Shiraishi-san is just—"

I didn't hear what she said. And I didn't know what caused it; but perhaps it was all the stress that has built up from my homework, or perhaps the fatigue of the race has finally caught up to me-

"Eh? Eh-eeEHH?! Kumiko-chan!!!"

But I fainted.

* * *

"Ugh…"

I could hear my own groan, and it rang loudly in my ear. My head was pounding, and my hand reached up to rub it.

"You're awake."

My eyes fluttered open, but I closed them as soon as I was greeted with the harsh chandelier lights.

"You pass out a lot."

"W-what happened?" I groaned, raising a hand to rub my eyes.

"You fainted….again."

Opening my eyes, I found Marui peering down at me curiously. "You alright?"

"I think so…" I sat up, finding myself placed on a red cushion. "How long have I been out?"

Marui eyes looked up in thought, and then he replied. "About half an hour or so. Not too long." I nodded, and he turned around to head over to a island counter behind him. He came back later with a cup of tea. "Chamomile tea. It'll help you relax a bit."

I took the cup from him gingerly, muttering a soft thanks before taking a careful sip. The warm beverage sliding down my throat and its easing aroma helped reduced my headache instantly, and some of my muscle ache which I just noticed I had. Must be from all that running…I picked up my head and looked around. "Where are we?"

Marui grinned and bowed, placing one arm across his abdomen and the other stretched out to his side. "Welcome to The Crystal Sakura, Ishimaru-hime."

"Crystal Sakura?" I echoed, thoroughly baffled.

"It's a café. Akutagawa is running this café- darn him, I wanted to do it- and I'm supposed to have a 1 hour slot here right after the race. When you fainted, I carried you here, since it was too troublesome to bring you all the way to your room, which is on the other side of the compound. Okuda-san has left to other events as soon as she saw you here." He explained, and then flicked me on the forehead. "Luckily Akutagawa had placed a couch here for when he wants to sleep; if not, you'd be on the floor!"

I rubbed the back of my neck, casting my glance away at anything but him in embarrassment and shame. "Sorry…for causing you all trouble."

Marui blinked repeatedly, and then he laughed. "Heh~ It wasn't a problem. You did pull through in the last task of the race. And we won cause of that! By the way, here's your prize."

I blushed when he mentioned the last task of the race, because it brought to surface again what Rinko told me before I fainted. But I was instantly curious about the envelope he handed me. Peering down at it, I asked him, "What did you and Shiraishi-san win?"

"Since we're members of the club, we could ask anything we wanted that was reasonable by Atobe's standards." He shrugged, and his face seemed to blend into one of pure bliss. "I'm getting a year's supply of blueberry cheesecake and strawberry pockies delivered to my front door~"

I blanched. He got to ask for whatever he wanted and he asked for pockies?!

Deciding to not dwell on the matter of his mental stability, I opened up the envelope which contained my prize- a piece of paper fell out.

I scanned through the paper, and as I reached the end, I was already seeing stars from the absurdity of it all!!

"Five free visits to any host clubs listed here of my choice?!!" I wailed. I went through that whole race, and lost my first kiss- albeit to a very good-looking man- all for five more visits to host clubs that caused it all in the first place?!

I think I'm going to faint again.

"Why do you sound like a bird which just got bitten by a cat?" Marui peered over my shoulder at the paper in my hands. "Hey! That's a good prize! You can come over to Club Prism anytime like-"

"Why would I want to go there again!!?" I cried into my hands.

The paper slipped from my hand and onto the floor, where Marui picked it up. He glanced it over before raising a brow. "You're free to bring a friend with you for each visit to any host club." He pulled my hands off my face, and stared me in the eyes. "Don't you think you can show some gratitude for a friend with this?" My face turned red when he winked at me, before straightening and leaving to serve a customer who came into the café moments ago.

Gratitude…for a friend?

Did he mean Aya?

As soon as he delivered the lattes the customer ordered, he came back to where I was seated, behind the island counter, mostly hidden from view from the rest of the café. He threw the tray he held to one side where a stack of trays were, before wiping his hands off on a towel. "You feeling any better now?"

I nodded meekly. Why would he suddenly bring up the topic of gratitude anyway? Although he was right...maybe I could bring Aya to one of them- let her pick whichever she wanted to go to, in thanks for the birthday and just being a great friend to me all these years....and for bringing me here. True, I was mostly uncomfortable the whole time I was here at this festival, but I could not deny the absolute joy and fun I had during that race. I dont remember the last time I did something o vigorating before.

Unconsciously, my hand went up to lightly touch my lips. I didnt think that...my first kiss would be like so...

"Well, good! Cause we're going in 15 minutes!" The red-head flashed me another grin and gave me a thumbs-up. I jolted out from my trance, and looked up at him nervously. I should go confirm it later. Rinko-chan might be pulling my leg again. But then I registered what Marui just said to me.

"Eh? Don't you have to work here?" He said he had to do a 1 hour time slot didn't he?

"Yea. For 1 hour. It ends in 15. Then we head to the art contest."

………….

"You said you'd be on my team…"

………….

I laid back down onto the couch. "I'm not feeling too good agai-"

"You just said you were fine!!"

* * *

**I meant for this to be a longer chapter but- I got distracted!! *runs off to continue reading a certain delicious manga, so delicious I'm too ashamed to say its name publicly***

**School starts in 1 day for me!! I wanna do all I can before it begiiiins! *waaails***

**But seriously? I did 3 updates in 2 days? X_X I thought it was 2 updates in 2 days! XD YAY! I just went beyond my limits! Celebrate with mee!!**

**Sorry though, this chapter was a bit half-assed since I wanted to go read the manga x_X; I'll try and make up for it with the next chapter!! ….I'll _try_. Note try please~**

**But PAH! How many of you were expecting Marui at the end of that last chapter?! **

**But thanks a lot for the reviews again guys! lol 6 reviews as soon as I release a chapter is actually the most reviews I got for a chapter upon release XD usually they gather over time lol *cries tears of joy* I'm sad, I know lul**

**Lady Ladington: lol I didnt even know I did 3 updates in 2 days XD Heck yea...wish there were races like that T_T So many girls would sign up for it lol XD and sorry, wasnt Marui ;D Glad you liked the transformed Kumiko xD I wanted to show a bit of change in her, little by little haha but I was also actually a little worried the change in the last chappie was too abrupt x_X**

**elusivemelody: *throws confetti with you* I didnt even know I did that! I just wrote and updated LOL XD **

**Yukimura X Satomi: haha thank you XD glad you enjoy it x3 and its not the best haha I've read better Dx**

**PhoenixRage32: Well, I mean, why stop the tradition of ridiculous games that has always been known in PoT, and loved by us? XD and normal activities are....boring. Not right for our characters ;D PoT characters are anything BUT normal XD And I didnt even know I was updating that fast lol guess I was just hit by the inspiration bug xD its dying now though, due to the manga I'm reading, which caused this EXTREMELY shortened chapter DX since I wanted to go read....and yesh, Another Story was epic XD So guess you understood my ramblings about Shiraishi's character in the previous chapters now? ;D **

**SapphireBreeze19: haha I didnt realize I was updating that fast though xD lol and you actually guessed Shiraishi =0 I figured most people would think it was Marui...darn! I wanted to catch everyone offguard x_X School starts for me in like 1 day now lol Time flies DX**

**xHakumeix: haha glad you found it exciting xD I was slightly scared people will be freaked out by the weird events haha but then, I couldnt help it since these sorts of events are so....so Prince of Tennis like! XD aww *hugs* I'm glad you love the story! T_T *wipes tears*Well, I always imagined Marui would make a good host...and he looks a lot like this host from a game I have xD  
**


	14. Progress

_"Fine Line"_

_"I just have to get back on the right road to progress."  
_

_Chapter 14: Progress_

~***~

I was feeling much better, since Ootori, who had a time slot at the café as well, offered me a very delicious cup of chocolate mocha that he made himself. The drink had perked me up instantly.

I had changed back into the clothes I was wearing before the race- Shiraishi was so kind to have gotten them for me and left it there at the café for when I woke up. I should probably thank him later….and also ask for confirmation on Rinko's words.

In all honesty, I would rather take a break, after that vigorous race, which completely left me sore, even though it has only been like 2 hours or so since its end. That just shows how unfit I am. I still can't believe I actually won though…

My mouth turned down into a small frown, when I thought about my…prize paper….in my pocket. I suppose it is a good prize….for any other girls that is. Not so good for me though…I don't even enjoy social gatherings….ironically enough, I'm at one right now.

But my heart still fluttered around in my chest as I trailed after Marui. I might dislike things that has to do with many people gathering together, but at least we're going to something which I absolutely love now.

Art.

Perhaps you can say art was the cause I was such a turtle? Or perhaps not. I don't know how many countless times I have been told by my parents that I needed to get out of my room more, rather than sitting in front of the desk, the canvas, or the computer with my art programs on.

But I just love it. I could recreate anything I ever wished, redesign the whole world into my own fashion. A place where I can escape to, whenever the real world put me down.

I hummed blissfully, noticing a slight jump in my footsteps now.

"You're happy."

"Hm?" I tilted my head to the side at Marui.

"You're humming….and skipping. Signs of definite happiness." To emphasize his point, he waved his index finger around, as if trying to draw a sun and a flower in the air.

I stopped humming, and my perky footsteps stopped. "I…guess so." Retarded must be how I looked when I was doing that…

"Well, you look better when you're happier." Marui said absent-mindedly, eyes rolling upwards in thought.

"Eh?" A small blush painted my cheeks.

"You always, always, _aaalways_ have this frown on your face, and you're always so...scared of people somehow!" The man fumed at me, eyes narrowing into a small glare. "Remember back during your birthday? You gave me the cold shoulder!"

I bristled. "I did not!"

"You so did."

"I didn't! I just…didn't feel like talking!" I countered lamely.

"Exactly my point!" He flailed his arm around.

"Hmph." I ignored him, and threw my head to the side, not wanting to look at him anymore.

"You can't fool a genius like me~" _Pop_.

The nerve of this man…Wait till I cause us to lose on purpose at the art contest!!

~***~

We're at the art contest venue now. It was being held in this really large hall, which they usually use for balls.

My heart was fluttering, and I was absolutely filled with joy. Because I should be finally able to get to do something I love! It should be worth all the pain I came here for!

But note the 'was' and 'should'.

"How….is this….a….art contest?" My words came out in sharp, and low breaths; I sounded like a bear pierced by an arrow.

_Pop_. "I dunnoe…I just signed up for it cause it sounded like fun in the pamphlet they handed to us back at the club." Marui spoke from beside me.

"Who…arranged this event?" I'm going to kill whoever arranged it- or at least try….since I doubt my measly hands could do anything against even a kitten.

"Hmm…if I remember correctly, it should be someone from Club Sacred…" He trailed off as he tried to remember who.

I blanched. It can't possibly be Shiraishi, or Kajimoto, or Kenya?!

Marui suddenly looked up, and his eyes widened in realization. "Ah! There he is!" He pointed off to the distance, where a man was talking to a few ladies joining the contest.

He had soft brown hair and a really pleasant smile on his face…

"Fuji Syuusuke!" Marui waved him down. "Over here!"

I stiffened and stared at Marui in horror. How could he call the guy I was just loathing over?! It's going to be so awkwa-

"Ah! H-hello…" I stammered. My eyes! He's just too beautiful to look at!!

Fuji smiled at me, and bowed, before kissing my hand as usual of hosts. "Pleased to meet you, Ishimaru-san. I heard about you from Shiraishi and Kajimoto."

Wow…am I that popular at Club Sacred? That's new…Usually I just flit from everyone's memories the very next day…or hour at worst….

I sighed internally. It was hard. Too hard to dislike this Fuji Syuusuke person, because he was just so sweet; ever smiling, and ever graceful.

Which is why I did not understand how such an event could have been conjured from him mind!!

Why, oh why, cant there just be _one_ event that is _normal_ and that I can enjoy?

Fuji's head perked up, and he nodded to someone off in the distance that I couldn't pick out. He faced me and Marui again, with that never fading smile. "It seems the contest will begin soon. I hope you two will enjoy participating in it~" He gave a quick bow and made his way off to wherever he had to go.

Marui threw his hands up into the air, and I just could not understand where he got his energy. I was completely drained.

"Yea! We're going to win this like the Empedocles!! Especially with you on the team!!" He gave me a soft slap to my back.

"Ow…" I rubbed the spot where he hit me, although it wasn't really hard. He was starting to act more like a buddy towards me than a female-buttering-gracious host.

Fuji's voice lulled through the speakers located around the room, and it was so song sweet and angelic, that I momentarily forgot about the soon to ensue contest.

"Saa~ as you all already know about the contest rules and regulations, there isn't much else for me to say. You have 1 hour and 15 minutes to come up with your piece. You may begin~"

Marui's arms instantly shot out and grabbed our supplies. In the corner of my eye, I could see Jirou and Rinko already beginning their 'masterpiece.' "What should we do, you think?" Marui asked me, and I found it much too cheerful at the moment. I just could not lift my spirits. Why is it that I'm always in such a bad mood anyway? And why is it that even if I know it, I cant seem to pull myself out of the moody pit?

But I didn't want to ruin anyone's fun, nor Marui's.

"Umm…Well, we have some really bright colors here…how about we make one of a pair of geese's?" I suggested, suddenly feeling stupid for making it when he stared at me blankly.

"Geese?"

"Yea…we can put like some circle framing around, since a circle continues on forever, and geese pairs are believed by the Chinese to represent a wonderful couple…and circle also represents your name…and then we can have maybe some red strings looping around—" I suddenly got nervous with his stare, and started rambling non-stop. I felt even sillier after making that statement about his name but I couldn't go back on what I said so I kept rambling.

Amused laughter came from him and my ramblings were cut short. "Okay, okay! Geese's. I don't need a whole thesis on it!"

I broke out a smile on my face, although they were twitching slightly.

But anyways---

How are we supposed to make a whole picture from colored rice?!!

~***~

Hmph.

My nonexistent pride was wounded. We didn't win. Another pair did.

We didn't even come in second.

Marui seemed to notice my foul mood (fouler would be more precise), and gave me an amused smile. "Hey…cheer up! We did win the Empedocles!"

"We lost the art contest….I lost an art contest…" My voice was hollow, mechanically, and I stared off into the space in front of him. I'm akin to a mechanical zombie.

My nonexistent pride in my skills….dashed.

Oh wait….I never did have skills.

"Oi, oi. If you're starting to doubt yourself, don't! Because you _do_ have the skills!" Marui jumped in front of me, and shook me by the shoulder.

"But we lost…."

"I thought you didn't like contests?!"

"But it was an art contest…."

"It was a _weird_ art contest."

"But we lost…."

"It's not everyday you make pictures out of rice! You specialize in canvas and paint!"

I stopped moving and sighed, looking up at his ever cheerful face. Maybe I'm overreacting…

Then it occurred to me how….different, he seemed now. When I first met him, he was this charming host which just sends my mind flying and my heart racing (like how all the others do to me too…), which results in me crawling back into my shell to recuperate, to hide…from…

I don't know what I'm hiding from.

I'm just so…afraid I'd make a fool of myself, and people will hate me….

If I'm apathetic to them, they won't hate me, right? They'd just ignore me, but they won't hate me. And I won't be a fool.

But…these guys…Akutagawa, Atobe, Niou, Kajimoto….Shiraishi…..Marui….they were…

I gulped. They were hosts.

Men specialized in these things: making women and girls… feel special, wanted.

Even I realize that, no matter how dim I am when it comes to socializing.

I allowed a small grin appear on my face. "Thank you…Marui-san."

But it's just so hard to see them as one, after all this- short as it may be.

They felt _almost_ like they were my friends.

"You're welcomed. That's what's friends are for!" That so often and frequently occurring smile of his flashed onto his face, but it never gets old and it feels new every time.

My breath caught in my throat as he released me, and continued forward. But he stopped and turned around when he noticed I wasn't following.

"You coming?"

For the first time ever, he didn't need to drag me anywhere, and I didn't have a heavy feeling in my heart as I trailed after his back.

~***~

"Haaa? Hime-sama Douchu?" I asked incredulously to no one in particular, as I glanced through the timetable Marui had handed me. Seems like the hosts actually held a few copies of the timetable and map in their pockets in case someone –like me for example- didn't have one and got lost. Why didn't he give it to me earlier anyway?!

He blew a bubble, popping it before taking a sip of his strawberry shake. How can he mix bubblegum and milkshakes like that?! ….then again, this is Marui, who managed to mix gum and wine….

"I don't have a kimono though…" I muttered off to the side. I'm too poor to get one. I could had anytime drew money out from my bank account but I'm not going to waste my future funds for something so trivial….and I wasn't going to ask mum and dad for one either; they're too busy to bother with something like that- so I had never got one. Although usually every girl in Japan would have a kimono, no matter how cheap it is. I just never saw the use in me having one, since I avoided social gatherings and stuffs most of the time. And my mum didn't hand any down to me either….

Marui raised an eyebrow and looked at me strangely. "You don't have one?"

I shook my head no.

"Weird. I never met a girl who never had one before."

"You have now…"

Finishing off the drink he got from one of the various lavishly decorated stands, he threw it into a garbage can nearby. I noticed for sometime now, that many girls and women- sometimes they were in groups- had a host or two bringing them about, or following them to whatever they wanted to do.

I was wondering if it was part of their agenda for the festival, to accompany the guests. Sneaking a peek at Marui, I wondered the same thing about him. It's strange, for someone, a male especially, to hang around me so much. I was usually like some anti-male spray. My heart felt strangely heavy, when I thought that Marui may just be around me right now because its part of his duties. Then again, I won't be surprised if he was. I wasn't much of an entertainment for him to actually stick around willingly. Most would prefer to be around Aya, Asuka or Rinko….and Yura even.

And that's what confused me even more.

I was so used to people choosing my friends over me now, that usually I just don't care.

But I just felt so, so sad, thinking Marui was just with me cause of his duty….

I jolted out of my thoughts, when Marui waved a hand in front of my face. "Hey, anyone in there?" He asked jokingly.

"H-huh?"

"You were just staring at me like that, it was so creepy!" He imitated my blank and serious look which I didn't realize I was doing. "I thought I had something on my face!"

"S-sorry…"

Marui paused for a moment, before throwing me a small smile, although a small bit of frustration shone through his eyes. "You don't have to keep apologizing, you know. There's nothing for you to be sorry for."

"Sor-"

"Gah!" He plugged a finger into his ears. "Stop! Don't say it!"

"So-"

"Ugh!" He feigned pain.

I bit my lip, to keep myself from saying the word he so dreaded. And my shoulders shook with silent laughter.

The supposedly in pain man peeked an eye open at me, then saw that I wasn't going to say that word. He straightened and fanned himself, exaggerating relief. "Phew. For a moment there, I thought I was going to have to choke on my gum."

"S-"

"Don't say it!"

I bit down on my finger this time. Marui sighed, and his shoulders and head drooped down.

He suddenly narrowed his eyes at me, and I panicked. Did I accidentally say the word without realizing it?

"Let's go get you a kimono!"

"Eh? Where are you going to get a kimono here?" There isn't any stands which sells kimonos….right? I would faint if there were…

"The people running the Himesama Douchu should have some in stock. They usually have backups in case guests forget theirs. But they also run out of fast. So we should go get one for you early, before they're all gone! You wouldn't want to sit out of it would you?" He grinned.

"Actually, I don't mind if I sat ou-H-hey!!" I was pulled forward by my arm. He didn't let me finish again. Sheesh. And I thought Aya and Asuka was bad.

As we arrived to wherever the event runners were (I wasn't paying attention…the palace grounds distracted me), a thought occurred to me. "Um…Marui-san?"

"Yea?" He glanced over his shoulders.

"What exactly is the Himesama Douchu like?" I asked, and he smirked.

"I don't know~" He sang.

I frowned."Yes, you do!"

"Of course I do! I'm a genius!"

"You're contradicting yourself!"

He stopped suddenly in his tracks, and I nearly ran into his back.

He smiled down at me. "Why don't you wait till tonight to find out?"

And that was the only option I had.

* * *

**Hime-sama Douchu. Well, you all know what hime and sama is, but douchu means voyage =]**

**Ehhhh! School begins tomorrow!! NoOOOOooooO!!!!! There might be a shortage of updates then D: Maybe not in the first week of school though, since homework will be light….hopefully. Sniff.**

**And I'm feeling inspired to write another Marui story…all because of that stupid yet delicious manga I read. **

**Hmph. **

**But a Sasori story spoiled me too. (Anyone saw how much ALIKE Sasori and Marui are? XwX the only other love of my life other than Marui is Sasori~!)**

**So now I'm stuck, on whether I should make it a Marui based or Sasori based….but I have so much Marui stories now….but Sasori is hard to write….hmm maybe I should make it both? Kufufufu~**

**Thanks for reviewing again guys!! I love you all who do!! …And those who read too of course, but I don't know who you are so-!! ....yea.**

**Juunin- XD The action will probably die down for a bit, but don't think Kumiko's life will be that easy, especially since I'm her God!! Things will be back to haunt her…xD**

**Elusivemelody- haha you should study for exams! XD Or you'll feel guilty everytime you see something about Marui! Well, I **_**was**_** trying to surprise people with the Shiraishi bit, so I guess I did my job XD**

**LadyLadington- *eyes wagging finger* Well, you wont say that anymore if I release a new hot steamy Marui story because of that manga!! It was shoujo though…hm…I never liked Shoujo but the plot was sorta interesting so I picked it up lol And then I got addicted to the amazingly hot-looking character inside so….*doomed to addiction* I have sinned! I read shoujo!! DX And whether its too early for jealousy from Marui….maybe~ But that kiss will not just sit back you know! It'll be back to haunt her…at some point later on in her life~ Cause I'm evil to her x_X**

**SapphireBreeze16- LOL neither xD sorry I made the art contest bit so short! But I didn't want to bore you guys with long paragraphs of how she captured the lighting etc etc X_X**

**PhoenixRage92- lool got you off about Shiraishi then xD This delicious manga….has made me broke my code of honor!!! So I hate it. But the male character in there was so-so-so hot x_x And hence, I got distracted. But now, I'm inspired by it to write a Marui story, or a Sasori story, or maybe both, because of it XD Yep, school starts tomorrow D: sniiifff. I only got a 2 month summer T_T**


	15. The Princess's Voyage

"_Fine Line"_

"_The only journey is the one within."- _Rainer Maria Rilke

_Chapter 15: __The Princess's Voyage._

~***~

It was about 7pm now.

My legs were wobbly, just like jelly from all the walking I did today, not to mention the running. I wanted to do nothing more right now than to retreat into my room and collapse onto my bed, and feel the sinfully soft bed on my back, and inhale the wondrous scents of azaleas.

But I wasn't going to be given that, curse whoever is up there!! [1]

There had been an announcement 3 hours ago, which rang throughout the whole compound. Atobe's velveteen and ever egoistic yet charismatic voice had spoke to everyone at the event, seemingly like God speaking into our heads. I guess in this palace, he _is_ God.

He had spoken of the Hime-sama Douchu. And how it was a sole and grand event; and that all other activities will cease. Because all hosts are required to participate, and guests are encouraged to take part.

Squeals had erupted like a volcano around me when the announcement was made. Why are they so excited about one event anyway?

It was to be the last event for the day. The one to wrap up the Prisma Festival Day One. So it must be a huge one.

When the announcement was made, Marui had bid me goodbye to go take care of some stuffs, in preparation for the event. He had of course, left me somewhere which I at least know. If not, even with the map he provided me, I would have been lost…

I met up with Aya and Yura at the reception hall again, and Aya seemed excited as ever about the event. Yura was just serene as usual. Neither excited, neither angry.

"Hime-sama Douchu…." I started. "What kind of event is it?"

Aya shrugged, staring down at the schedule in her hand. "I don't know…it just says here: _An event to cherish our wonderful guests_."

"Haa….that's helpful." I rubbed the back of my neck.

"We need to wear kimonos for it though." Yura noted, looking at the schedule as well. "Oh yea, congratulations on your win, Kumiko-chan."

"Eh? Oh, thanks!" I smiled a huge grin, and Yura returned it. I was honestly happy to have won something, even if the prize isn't exactly to my liking. And I was even happier people were acknowledging it.

We had 2 hours before the event started, and although I would very much like to sit out of it and go rest, Aya would not let me, and I would also be wasting Marui's kind effort at getting me a kimono off the event runners.

I napped for 30 minutes, as soon as I entered into my room. Aya had gone off to prepare, and Yura was just too sweet to wake me up. Asuka and Rinko weren't as kind however.

They stomped me awake, and locked me into my bathroom, telling me they would not let me out till I showered and got all the chlorine and whatnot out of my hair.

I complied without much resistance, as was usual of me. Not that I could have resisted. Two lions against one rabbit- what are the chances? And I did feel thoroughly sweaty and icky.

"Woah…they have soap bars made out of real lavender flowers…." The materials given to us in our bathroom were just as extravagant as our bedroom. I felt almost guilty using these expensive shower items. _Almost_.

Because they smelt so nice and were so refreshing to use that I could hardly careless as I soaped lavender shampoo through my hair.

I was given a silk kimono by the event runners. I nearly had a heart attack when he handed it to me. Silk kimono!! The cotton ones were already pricey at times, but silk?!

A kimono's price was usually decided by the deco, how it was made and how well as well as the material.

This one I was putting on was silk. And it was _definitely_ well made.

It was crimson red, with yellow threaded designs, akin to sparks and fumes, on the sleeves and dress. It resembled….fire.

Like a bright glowing fire was burning, against a red and fiery sky.

"Waaah! That looks so good on you, Kumiko-chan!!"

I jumped slightly, and whipped to find Aya at my door. "Cant you knock?!" I moaned, face flushing.

She waved her hand. "Oh you! We're both girls, so it doesn't matter!"

It does matter!! ….to me at least!

I noted Aya was wearing the kimono her mother handed down to her. One I saw her wear a few times, on rare and special occasions.

"Why are you here right now anyway? It's not time yet…" I asked her, sitting down on my bed, careful not to ruin the expensive kimono. I don't think I can handle the charges…

Aya rolled her eyes. "To do your hair of course!! Knowing you, you'd probably leave it as it is or put it in a ponytail!!"

"………" Wow. She really does know me well.

Silently, I sat in on the seat by the dresser, as Aya combed and pulled by hair into whatever work of art she wishes. I don't remember the last time my mother ever did my hair for me.

Aya was always there.

"Aya-chan?"

"Hm?"

I peeked up at her from under my bangs, looking at her through the mirror. "Do you really enjoy going to host clubs?"

She blinked, and then laughed at me. "I sure do! Its' really fun you know, being treated like a princess!"

"But you have Kikumaru-kun."

"Yea…and he treats me like one too. That's why I love him." She stuck her tongue at me.

I frowned at her. "Then why do you go to host clubs?"

Silence suddenly reigned in the room, and her hands ceased moving through my hair. Then she smiled.

"For the heck of it."

She continued combing my hair.

For…the heck of it?

I stared down at my hands on my lap, fiddling around with them. The lavender scent from the shampoo permeated my nose, and I was reminded of clear lavender eyes, whose owner said something really strange to me when I woke up from my fainting spell today. "Aya-chan?"

She stopped combing again. "Yea?"

"Would you like to go to a host club with me, after this festival?" My face was red as I said this, but I didn't feel stupid or silly.

Aya grinned, and then leaned down to hug me tightly. "Love to!" She continued working on my hair.

"Aya-chan?"

She sighed. "I'm never going to finish your hair if you kee-"

"Thank you."

I didn't look up at her. I kept my eyes casted down, continuing to fiddle with my fingers and pushing my indexes together- like a little girl who was in trouble.

Aya didn't say anything for awhile, but her hands continued to lift my hair into a piece of art.

She clipped on a butterfly clip she found in the dresser, the finishing touch.

"You're welcome."

~***~

All around me, the women and girls of all ages were dressed in beautiful kimonos. Some more simple than others, and some more extravagant. But one thing was for sure- it was that they all looked magnificent.

Just like princesses.

I paled in comparison to them. Even Rinko, Yura and Asuka looked like one- as roguish Asuka is.

"You look fine!" Aya rolled her eyes when I fidgeted around, wide eyes bouncing around from one beautiful female to the next.

"R-really?" My voice was but a squeak, having lost all of the small confidence in myself.

Asuka snorted as usual. "If I have to say so myself, you look better than half of these minks put together!"

Several women to our left gave gasps of horror, glaring at Asuka before turning their noses away. Asuka didn't give a damn about them.

"Oi, oi~ Let's not have our guests fight amongst themselves, especially now, when the event to _appreciate_ you all is about to begin~" Niou's ever slinky and sly voice spoke up, and the man himself slid over to us with his ever sensual gait.

"Niou! What's with that get-up?" Asuka crossed her arms, eyeing the silver haired man up and down. He had on a white dress shirt and over it a black vest, and white gloves. Black slack pants covered his long legs and leather shoes protected his soles.

"This, is what you would call a servant's uniform~ puri." He responded, giving a small tug at his collar.

It might have been a 'servant's uniform' but he looked like a prince!

Asuka deadpanned at him. "I can see that. But why are you wearing it?"

"Hime-sama Douchu~" We turned around, to see the guy Aya partnered up with in the Empedocles and Marui along with someone else I've never seen before. "A princess's voyage, so to speak. And a princess, never travels alone. So tonight, we are but mere humble servants to the ladies of the house."

Aya's eyes alighted. "Ah! Yagyuu-san!!"

Yagyuu bowed at Aya, giving her a swift kiss on the knuckles before turning to all of us and introducing himself in the same way.

"So? What's with the group of ladies just now?" The unknown host asked, eyeing the women who Asuka had offended indirectly. They were still shooting venom at her, and whispering amongst themselves, while another young host tried to ease them up.

"Our dear one here was feeling down about herself, and Asuka-chan here, being the rogue, tried to cheer her up but had offended them with her rambunctious words and voice~!" Rinko said in a sing-song voice, feigning heartbreak.

If Asuka had it her way, I think Rinko would be six feet under right now. But Yura had strategically positioned herself in between them.

Marui looked at me and raised an amused eyebrow. "Did she mean you, Kumiko-chan?"

"Err…."

That host I never known came up to me and stared me in the eye, frowning. "Definitely her. Seems like the type to look down on themselves."

He was suddenly whacked over the head, by Jackal who was passing by and carrying a tray of drinks. "Akaya! Watch yourself!" Jackal scolded before going on his merry way of serving the guests.

Kirihara grumbled to himself and rubbed the place where Jackal hit him.

"Forgive him, Ishimaru-hime. Akaya is one of our youngest, and has a bit of a….attitude problem, shall we say?" Yagyuu said, placing a hand on Akaya's shoulders.

"More like a _big_ problem!" Niou snickered. Then he slapped the boy on the back. "Oi, Akaya. Introduce yourself!"

"Tch." Akaya glared up at Niou before turning to me reluctantly, a small tint of pink on him, as he grumpily introduced himself. "Kirihara Akaya…nice to meet you….." He trailed off.

"Ishimaru Kumiko." I bowed.

Kirihara blinked at me. "Uh…nice to meet you, Ishimaru-san…"

He didn't kiss my knuckles or bowed or did any of those things the other hosts usually do upon meeting. And I didn't think he seemed like the type.

We stood there facing each other, looking elsewhere but front. It was awkward.

Yura seemed to notice my discomfort, and came to the rescue as usual. "So, what did you mean Yagyuu-san, by being humble servants tonight?"

He pushed up his glasses and was about to speak but Niou did not allow him to."Why don't us all head out to the courtyard, where the event will begin ~piyo?"

He threw an arm around Yagyuu's shoulder and began leading the calm man out. Although Yagyuu did seem slightly annoyed.

The rest of us followed, and whilst the rest ensued into endless chatter, I still can't help but eye the girls we passed.

Marui blinked, and stopped in his conversation with Aya for awhile. "Hm?"

"What's wrong?" Aya asked him, noting his odd face, and was about to follow his line of sight but he snapped back.

"Ah, nothing~" _Pop_.

We stepped out of the front doors and an airy gasp left my throat.

"B-breathe, Kumiko-chan!" Aya stammered, patting my back a bit too harshly, as she too was so taken by the outside that she didn't notice.

I didn't even registering the painful hits on my back. My mind was elsewhere, and it did not register the pain- it only saw the beauty of the night in Atobe's Crystal Palace.

All the lights that had been set up, all the little origami that had little bulbs set into them, all the fairy figures delicately holding a small candle in their hands- everything that I suspected would light up at night, and everything I didn't- their beautiful and crystal clear lights illuminated the grounds!

Dreamy silver dusted the lanes, and sparkling gold lit the air. Crimson rose filtered across surfaces and aquatic blue melded with it.

"It's so beautiful…" I couldn't help the gradual fall of my mouth, so I clasped my hands over it.

I had never seen anything so **magical** before.

The hosts with us, they too stood there, amazed by the sheer beauty of it. They might be used to the amazing and the glorious and were regulars here to this palace, but even they had to admit beauty when they saw it.

All around us, many hosts and guests alike were going about, admiring the place which had suddenly came to life. In the morning it had been a static beauty, one that stayed there eternal for eyes to forever appreciate.

Now at night, all those beautiful statues of lights and decorations had jolted to life together and created a whole new place for us, right in the palace.

If one did not believe in the idea of a place changing overnight, after they saw this, they would believe in it.

The lot of us converged around by the fountain, whose statues seemed almost real when illuminated by the lights, and I almost thought I really was staring at angels.

Atobe was there, surrounded by many girls and women, and I did not how to he did, but he talked to all of them at once.

It wasn't too long later when Atobe took up a mike, and all the women around quickly backed up, knowing he was about to make a speech. Wow, how loyal and intuitive.

"First off, let me start by saying thank you, to all of the ladies who has supported us for so long. And I wish you all to know that this particular event tonight is a tribute to all of you."

When Atobe put it like that, I felt like I shouldn't be here. I wasn't a regular or loyal customer. Heck, I went to two different hosts clubs in less than a week!

I closed my eyes and swallowed down the unidentifiable feeling I was going through. It made me feel slightly sick.

"It's nothing as grand as some of you may expect it to be. We made this simple for one sole reason."

"A grand house, champagne for juice, kobe beef for toast, saffron for sauce, Le Parker Meridien Omelet for lunch, butlers and maids by your hand and foot, a garden of crystals and gold…. Some may think that is the life. That nothing can get better."

"Don't tell me that guy has Le Parker Meridien omelet's for lunch…?!" Asuka whispered harshly to herself.

"But we must not forget the sheer thrill and joy when one wins at a simple goldfish catch, the serenity of a walk through the park, the wondrous homemade cooking of your making or your mother…and also the _bliss of having your friends around you as you do all these things._"

"…………"

"Surprising, isn't it? Hearing those things coming from him."

I jolted out of my trance, and looked up at Marui beside me. But his eyes were trained on Atobe at the front.

I faced back to the front. "Yea…"

"And as such, I hope you all would enjoy the Hime-sama Douchu, a Club Prism special- where we integrate the simplicity and sophistication of life. And as Leonardo Da Vinci put it: Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."

Everyone gave a loud round of claps, and it would have probably gone on if Atobe did not raise an arm, and snap his fingers. Everything and everyone went stone silent.

How the heck did he do that?

"And before I forget, a princess, never travels alone. Hosts, please choose your princess for the night."

"Eh?!!" The crowd of females instantly went into shock at the sudden announcement. Some were confused- what did they mean choose your princess?! Some were elated- they were going to get some quality time with their hosts!

I was scared.

My heart suddenly pounded, and I could hear it in my ears. C-choose a princess?

I could already see, some hosts approaching a girl or woman of their choice, and asking them to be their princess. And I gulped. No one would choose me, that's for sure.

And I was right as I watched Yagyuu turn to Aya, and bow. "If Yunami-hime does not mind, I wish for you to be my princess for the night."

Aya giggled into her hands. "I'd love to!"

Niou raised a condescending eyebrow at Asuka, and the girl huffed. "What?"

The silver haired man sighed, and then smirked. "Chiyoko-hime, would you like to be my princess for the night?"

Asuka seemed to reddened (that's a first) and then crossed her arms. "Whatever." And they were off on their own way.

A mop of dark blue hair made its way over to Rinko through the crowds, and I recognized Oshitari Yuushi. "Will Rinko-hime do me the honor of being my princess?"

Needless to say, Rinko squealed and instantly had a hold of him.

Kirihara rubbed his head and shifted on his feet. He took a peek at Yura. "Erm…I don't know you well but…would you…." He couldn't finish it.

Yura smiled and took one of his hands. "I don't mind."

It wasn't only the hosts that were asking; some of the invited guests had brought their friends along- so there were other males around. Those too, were asking their prospective partners to be their princess.

It brought a slight elation to me, to see so many people instantly pairing off easily. I had always admired the amazing beauty of how people clicked together, how they interacted with one another. Which is why I was also amazed at how rival host clubs could work together in close quarters, and how hosts can work with other hosts in peace and be friends, when they are competing for customers.

But…

My heart was still dim. I wasn't a regular. I hardly knew the hosts. And I wasn't beautiful or fun, like Rinko-chan and Aya-chan was. I wasn't brave like Asuka-chan. And I wasn't sweet like Yura-chan.

I looked down to the ground, and my hands clasped in front of me quivered from the force that I was holding them together. As I thought, I should have stayed in my room and slept.

Social gatherings never worked out for me.

I felt hurt from all this of course; but no tears came either because I also expected this.

I was used to this.

I turned to head towards the main doors, and someone suddenly tapped me on my shoulders.

Looking around, I faced the ever dancing eyes of Marui.

"Marui-san? What are you doing here?" I asked, looking at him weirdly.

He rolled his eyes. "I'm a host. I work here."

I frowned, shaking my head. "That's not what I meant. I mean, where's your…erm, princess?" It felt weird saying that.

He smiled at me, and flicked me on the forehead. "She's right here."

My eyes widened and pink dusted my cheeks. "E-eh?" R-right here...?! Didnt that mean....--No, no. Nah. It didnt mean me...Nope!

I felt something warm, and I looked down to see he had taken hold of my hands, holding it in his gentle grasp.

"Kumiko-chan."

I gulped and looked back up at him, the pink on my cheeks turning into a deeper shade of red when I saw how kind and soft his eyes were. Youth danced in their depths, but with that youth, there was also maturity.

"Will you be my princess?"

At any other time, I would have questioned where was the 'tonight' part in his line. At any other time, I would have raised a weird eyebrow at him, and then asked if he was pulling my leg. At any other time, I would have said no, because I didn't like social activities.

But this wasn't any other time.

"Y-yes."

* * *

**1) lol me XD**

**Kobe beef- a really, reaaaally expensive beef in Japan. Ordered once…and never ate a bite cause I couldn't hold down beef meat. Sniff. Parents and brother ate it all T_T These cows before they are sent to the butcher are fed the best of the best soybeans, hay etc etc, massaged and brushed regularly, have their own private bedrooms, classicals and Mozart are played to them, are given beer and wine to drink, bathed in shochu…shit. They have a better life than me T^T**

**Saffron – Price for a kilogram of these things go from US 1100$-11000$.**

**woah. I just noticed I had 54 reviews altogether for this fic?! D: oh man, I didn't expect to get THAT many throughout the whole fic XD aww thanks all of you who reviewed every time and also took time to review! Help me aim for 100 now, okie?! XD**

**but woohoo~ I think I made up for the one day( yesterday) which I did not update with the two updates todaty ;D I cant believe myself! Did I accidentally eat crack without realizing it, and is now on some weird fire and typing away at my poor keyboard which is about to break from all the typing?!**

**Thanks for reviewing last chapter guys! Eheh, I probably didnt leave enough time for other people to review the last chapter....xwX**

**Juunin- lol I know the Indians do it, making pictures on the floor out of rice, but its really hard haha. They do it often at a certain time of the year in my country, and when their celebration day rolls around, they also put rice drawings on the ground in my school xD haha isnt Kumiko always herself? xwX ...I'm not really too sure what you mean though lol XD; *is a bit high right now***

**PhoenixRage92- I know. Its evil =(**

**elusivemelody- OH noeees!....for you at least. Hope you dont check your mailbox yet...if not you'd be seeing this message which meant you read through this chapter and isnt studying for your exams!! D: Yea, I know a lot which are discontinued, sadly =( And some of my faves got deleted too! Oh my poor, poor favorite Sasori story...snifff. Why did she stop writing?! T_T And you should have hearted Marui a lot from the start ;D I know I did~ evil prince stole my heart XwX But so did Sasori...ohohohoHH!! Really want to write a Sasori and Marui story now! *runs off to type new story***


	16. Butterfly Touch

**Hm, in case some of you were wondering about the slight difference in personality between Kumiko's thoughts and her words; well, you know how when you think only, and don't say anything, you just go wild, cause there isn't the fear of anyone hearing and you upsetting them etc and stuffs?**

**It's the same with Kumiko =]**

**She thinks and acts more brave and freely in her mind, but when its down to reality, she's back to her ol little shell lol.**

--

"_Fine Line"_

"_Love is like a butterfly, it goes where it pleases and it pleases wherever it goes.  
Love is like a butterfly; hold it too tight, it'll crush. Hold it too loose, it'll fly."_

_Chapter 16: __Butterfly Touch_

~***~

Hime-sama Douchu.

It definitely was one.

A princess, representing royalty. Though I didn't cut much of a princess. And the voyage….well, I guess the voyage is different for each person.

But one usually does not have the grandeur of royalty life on a voyage. And this event that Atobe held shows both of these together.

Everything was made beautifully, and set up like masterpieces. But the stands, food, games- they were all simple.

A simple game of catching the gold fish. Simple round of targets and darts. Simple and sweet sugared apples.

Oh, and I missed one part of the royalty bit.

Our own 'servant', as they called it here. Though maybe prince would be a better word, with the way they are outfitted and look.

When Atobe had asked the hosts to choose their princess, I got wind it also meant choose who they wanted to 'serve' for that night.

I had just gaped at Marui when I got that out of him.

Chewing slowly on my chocolate covered banana that I got from one of the stands, my eyes took in the simple yet pleasant surroundings, amazed at the wonderful job whoever set these up had done.

Walking along a stand with a small crowd of people squatting around it, I recognized the backs of Rinko and Yuushi. I lightly reached out to Marui who was ahead of me and held onto the sleeves of his shirt, tugging.

He turned around to look at me, tilting his head in question. I pointed over to where Rinko was, before heading over, and he followed.

"Goldfish scooping?" I peeked over Rinko's shoulders, as she watched in glee as Oshitari Yuushi attempted to scoop one from the ceramic basin. Various small and different types of goldfish swam about in there, going helter-skelter when Oshitari moved in for the kill….well, not literally.

But his poi broke not too soon later.

Rinko frowned and pouted, and Oshitari did the same, frowning and pushing his glasses up.

"Another one, if you may." His words came out tight, and determination shown through his eyes. The poi he used that broke was thrown to the side, joining 4 others there that broke as well.

"Here you go sir~" The young man running the stall seemed almost too happy to hand him a poi.

"You can do it, Yuushi-kun!" Rinko cheered, clapping her hands.

My mouth fell open. They were already on first name basis?! ….well, that isn't surprising I suppose, seeing as Oshitari did ask the same thing of me when we first met, and Rinko is quite open about herself.

As if on instinct, the lot of us that stood around watching quieted down; the only sound that can be heard was the short and sharp '_pop_'s of Marui's gum.

The blue-haired man sat, poised and hand raised in the air, keen eyes roving over the water, waiting for the right prey and right time. And in a flash, his hand shot down into the water and up, the goldfish flying up into the air with it- _plop_- it went into the bowl in his hand.

Oooh's and Ahhhh's went around the stand, and clapping could be heard as he passed the bowl over to the stall owner who placed the goldfish in a transparent plastic bag. Oshitari presented the goldfish to Rinko.

"Thank you, Yuushi-kun!" Rinko cheered, hugging the bag and I feared that the bag might explode from the force.

The man pushed his glasses up again. "It was my pleasure."

"Wow…he got it with the 5th poi!" I exclaimed, lifting up one of the broken poi's and touching the fragile rice paper that hung limp on its rim. "And its not even one of the stronger types! That's amazing, Oshitari-san."

Oshitari smirked at me. "Would you want me to win you one as well, Kumiko-hime?"

I reddened, feverishly shaking my head. "N-no. It's alright."

I didn't know if it was just my eyes going blind, but I thought I saw Rinko frown at me when Oshitari offered to catch me one. She turned to Marui. "Why don't Marui-san catch one for you?~"

"Eh?" Marui's eyes widened momentarily from the shock of him being suddenly pulled into the convo. He popped his gum, scratching the back of his head before turning to me and grinning. "If you wish it, Kumiko-hime~!"

Marui had taken up to calling me Kumiko-hime tonight, rather than Kumiko-chan. He said that as a 'servant', he was not allowed to talk with such a casual term with the princess. Amazing what discipline these hosts have sometimes; they follow the rules and theme of the event down to the last letter.

"No…it's alright, really." The goldfish will probably die in my hands anyway….

"You don't have to worry, Kumiko-hime. I'm sure Marui will be able to catch you one, although he might take a little more poi's…" Oshitari patted my shoulder.

Marui frowned and seemed to bristled. "Oi, Oshitari! What's that supposed to mean?!"

Oshitari faced Marui, shrugging. "Hm? Nothing~ I didn't mean anything." He said in his heavy Kansai accent, voice betraying his amusement.

"I bet I can get it with no more than 2 poi's!" Marui declared.

"Eh- umm, Marui-san-" I started, fearing that this will escalate into something else.

"Really now? Let's see you do it." Oshitari challenged.

"Oshitari-san!" I whipped to the man, a look of despair on me.

"Whee~! This'll be interesting!!" Rinko clapped like a little kid.

"Rinko-chan!" Why am I the only one against this?

Marui waved his hand airily at me, dismissing my franticness. "Don't worry." He gave me the V-sign. "I'm a genius~"

"Oi, give me two poi's!" He placed out his hand, demanding two from the stand owner who only gave him a sympathetic look. I shared it.

It took Oshitari 5 tries to get the goldfish for Rinko. What are the chances of Marui getting it in two?

I squatted beside Marui who had pulled his sleeves up. "Marui-san, really, you shouldn-"

He waved a poi in front of my face. Seeing that I was silent now, he took it back and winked at me. "Watch closely, I'll show you my genius skills~"

With that, I resigned myself to watching. Doesn't seem like its possible to dissuade him from his decision once its made.

Although my mind told me that it's near impossible to catch a goldfish with only 2 pois, my heart still hoped he would.

I didn't want him hurt…I could tell Oshitari would not let him live it down easily if he didn't fulfill the challenge he set himself.

I gulped and started biting my fingers as Marui waited. [1]

_Splash_

The poi went in and out. But no goldfish came with it. Luckily though, the poi hasn't broke yet. Marui rolled his tongue around his mouth, and went back to waiting again.

_Splash_

This time, the poi really did break, and the goldfish it came out with fell back into the water. I bit down on my finger a bit harder from the anxiety as Marui took up the last poi.

Time ticked away as his lavender eyes went right and left, watching for a specific goldfish- I couldn't tell which. I was too nervous and busy chewing my finger.

Suddenly, my mouth was empty of its chew toy, and I looked up to Marui whose eyes pierced mine. I could feel his hands tighten around mine and then loosen.

"Stop chewing your fingers, they wont be beautiful anymore~"

With that, he turned back to face the basin. I stopped chewing my fingers.

_Splash_

In went the poi not a moment after, and out came a goldfish with a black star on its head.

"Oooh! Sir, you just caught one of our finest goldfish in there!" The stand owner exclaimed, pushing up his hat that had fallen off from shock.

The goldfish was instantly and carefully placed into a transparent bag with water, and Marui handed it to me with a smirk. "Told you I was a genius."

I gazed down at the little fish swimming around in the bag, and a smile could not help but make its way onto my face.

Oshitari adjusted his glasses, and looked away calmly, although I could tell he was quite frustrated. "Maa, I guess it was your lucky night tonight."

"Luck is also a skill~" Marui commented smugly.

Rinko leaned down and peered into my bag. "Heeeh~ Kumiko-chan, can we switch?!" She asked with a chirp.

My hands retracted with the bag gently, away from her. "O-of course not!"

She pouted at me. "But why?!"

"You already have one!"

"But yours is so cute!"

"Marui-san gave it to me…!"

"I'll take good care of it~!"

I shook my head childishly. And she pouted at me again.

Marui whistled and placed his hands behind his head, leaning back casually. "Why don't you ask Oshitari to catch one for you~?" I could see that he was getting a kick out of this.

Shooting up from my squatting position, I quickly grabbed Marui's hand. "Ahah~ I remember there was a stand I wanted to see…We'll see you guys later, bye-bye!!" Hurriedly, I walked away, pulling Marui along.

My heart was still thumping from the nervousness that wracked me as I watched Marui and Oshitari's interaction. I hated it when people I know, whether a little or a lot, fought. And I don't think I'll be able to get a good night's sleep if their affinity with one another diminished that time.

Frowning, I glared at Marui. "That was really childish you know…"

Marui looked at me dumbfounded. "Childish? How was that childish?"

I sighed, resisting the urge to slap my face….or his. "Never mind…"

Mature Marui threw me off. Childish Marui annoyed me.

I don't know which I preferred.

Perhaps neither.

I felt him tapping my shoulders, and I turned to him with a weary stare. "What?"

"Let's go get a drink first~ I'm thirsty." He pointed towards a drinks stand, located next to a cotton candy seller.

Seeing no harm in that (unlike the Goldfish scooping), I headed over there light-heartedly, the anxiety from the goldfish incident leaving me as we distanced ourselves from the stand, Oshitari and Rinko.

Sometimes, I felt like a kindergarten teacher- Always worrying over the kids bickering. Ironically enough, Asuka did once tell me before that I would make a good kindergarten teacher…but then again, I didn't exactly want to spend my days in a school teaching lots of kids whom I probably will spill milk on, rather than vice versa.

A cool plastic cup was raised in front of me, and I carefully held the goldfish in one hand, and took the cup with the other. "Thank you…"

I raised an eyebrow and shook the cup around, mixing the creamy yellow substance with the blotches of chocolate brown in it.

"Chocolate banana flavor~" Marui gave me what I wanted to know, amusedly watching me peer at the drink.

"Oh! I couldn't tell…" I looked at the cup in his hand. "What's yours?"

"Tiramisu~" The straw went into his mouth and he took one giant slurp, literally draining a quarter of the cup in one gulp.

"Tiramisu?!" They had tiramisu drinks?! I didn't think it was possible…

"It's cause of that Gakuto. He wanted a tiramisu drink once, as he was too lazy to chew the cake, so Atobe's chef blended a real tiramisu cake for him. It was really good, surprisingly, so this is what became of it." I listened to him tell me the tale of the tiramisu drink, completely dumbfounded and entertained by it.

These hosts never seem to stop surprising me…

We came to the end of the long trail of stands, to the end of the spacious garden. Ahead it was just a tall stone wall with morning glory vines spun around it.

But it wasn't the end of the festival activities here it seems.

My eyes fluttered repeatedly, when something suddenly landed in between my eyes, and I would have freaked and screamed, but it flew away just as quickly as it came.

"B-butterflies?"

Hundreds of butterflies were flying all around; butterflies of various sizes and colors, of various patterns and shape.

And for some reason, they all congregated there, in just that part of the garden.

I soon found out why though, when Marui pointed to the center of the butterfly park (as I shall call it for now).

A bright and luminous ball of light was located at the center, placed carefully on the center of the altar it was on. The altar took the shape of a…..flower? Leaf?

"It's a forget-me-not." The host beside me spoke up.

"Oh…"

The petals of the flower altar was made to twist up, as if reaching towards the heavens, and the bulb of light was placed in the center of it. Many and many of the butterflies converged on it, covering the bright silver light with their beautiful bodies, casting a dim glow of silver around the area instead.

All the other butterflies that could not converge on the bulb fluttered around it instead, or towards the other small areas of light in the area, provided by the geisha dolls hung around with little lamps in their hands.

"What…is this place?" I asked, breathless. I had never seen so many different types of butterflies in one place before- and combining them together with the beauty of the garden, it was a Wonder.

"Little lady," a aged man in a butler's suit came up to me. "How would you like to take a go at our butterfly catching game?"

"Butterfly catching?" I looked back at the other pairs around the area. Certainly enough, there was a small and short net in their hands. I hadn't noticed it before, because usually butterfly nets are long and large. But this was shorter than a badminton racket, and the width of the net was akin to that of a badminton rackets head. "I…can't really keep a butterfly for a pet…"

"Ohohoho~" The aged man laughed, and although signs of wrinkles were showing on his face, I could see that he used to be a very gorgeous man back in his younger days….probably a host….since they seem to be everywhere at this Prisma Festival, no matter the age. "The butterflies are not for you to keep, even after you catch them."

One flew nearby and Marui reached out a finger to touch it, but it flew away. "These butterflies are taken care of by Yamada-oji here." He said, nodding his head towards the other man.

Yamada-oji smiled. "I used to work as a gardener for Young Master Atobe's dad. But due to the various flora here, it is a great place for butterflies, don't you think so? So several species of them were brought in, and I took care of them. As time went by, more and more gathered, and now we keep most of them in a sheltered greenhouse, and take them out for special occasions just like these."

I cocked an eyebrow curiously. "How do you manage to move them about?"

"Ohoho~ That's a Atobe family secret." Inching away a little from him, I looked back to the Wonder in front of me. Slightly, I was actually creeped out by this man and his laugh. It had a chilling effect on me. Paradoxically, he took care of butterflies…

"So, would you like a go?" He asked again.

I shook my head no. I didn't feel up to an activity that required vigorous movement from me again, and I don't think I could move in these geta anyways. Besides, I really saw no point in catching them if we were not given them as a prize afterwards- not that I wanted to keep a butterfly as a pet…it would probably choke on all the paint fumes on my house.

"I'll take a go." Marui chirped, grinning at the old man.

"Ohohoho~" There it is again with that laught. "Now here we have a sport!"

He went behind a stand nearby, emerged back out with a net similar to the ones the few other pairs were using.

"Catch whichever you wish sonny~"

Marui turned to look at me. "Sure you don't wanna give it a shot? Might be fun~"

I smiled hesitantly, shaking my head. "No…it's alright. Y-you go ahead. I'll wait here."

He paused momentarily to look at me, and I felt as if he was taking in my appearance, recording every single bit of me. Just as I was about to ask him out of nervousness why he was still there, he turned and headed into the gardens, net in hand.

Yamada-oji stood next to me, as we silently watched the pairs go about catching the butterflies, with difficulty. They were fickle, and moved before you can get close enough.

"What exactly is this for, Yamada-oji?" I asked the man running this….thing.

He laughed that laugh of his, and his bright eyes twinkled behind the shadows of his graying eyebrows. "If your boyfriend gets one, you'll see~"

I reddened heavily."B-boyfriend? He i-isnt-"

"Ohohoho~No need to be shy~" Waving his hand at me like a fan, he headed into the gardens as well, to help some pairs that were having especially hard times.

Feeling a bit awkward standing there alone, I started fidgeting around. But I couldn't help but giggle as I watched Marui leap around in his fine costume, trying to get a butterfly. It was like watching a man in a business suit jump on a trolley and roll it down a hill.

I tilted my head when he stopped, and stood there with his back turned. I couldn't see what he was doing, and he just stood there, in place and unmoving. Just as I was beginning to think that he might have got a stroke or heart attack or fainted, while still standing up, he started walking towards Yamada-oji and spoke a few words with him.

What are they doing? Did Marui get one already?

Yamada-oji approached me, with a cattish Marui grinning behind him. The man had his hands held in front of him, cupped together making a closed shell.

"Ohoho~ look what your boyfriend caught~"

I blushed. "Like I said, he's not my boy-" Whatever words I wanted to say left me when Yamada-oji opened his palms a little, giving light to me what was in there. A butterfly sat inside the shelter of his palms, wings swaying up and down. It was a ebony black color, and deep light blue painted its wings. Despite only having two colors on it, it was beautiful.

"Wow…" I murmured, stooping closer to get a better view. But the palms closed shut, closing off the butterfly from my eyes. I gave a half frown, half pout.

The kindly man smiled at me. "Don't worry little lady, you get to have one of your own~"

"Huh?" He walked towards his stand, and I looked to Marui for clearance on what he meant.

Marui shrugged. "It means what it means~"

"Wait, what? I thought the butterflies were not for us to keep?" My question was answered though when Yamada-oji returned, and in his hand was a butterfly clip.

It looked exactly the same as the butterfly Marui caught.

This he placed into my hand.

"That's for you to keep, your very own butterfly~" He smiled and bowed, before heading back into the garden where another pair was waving him over.

I saw clearly why he would still call it a butterfly, and not a clip. These were of extremely high quality. The butterfly was unlike the many other butterfly clips out there- it wasn't made of metal, or steel, or plastic. Neither did it have redundant glitter and bright colors on it.

It looked exactly the same as the butterfly Marui caught. Exactly.

No overarching colors, no exaggerated wings. None of those. It was identical, like a twin. And it was soft and silky, and the wings swayed with any wind that blew.

It felt like I was holding a real butterfly in my hands.

I felt something on my head, and I gazed upwards, meeting with the underside of Marui's palms. He unclipped the butterfly clip Aya had placed on my head.

Blinking, I looked down to see the butterfly clip I just received gone, and I felt something sliding into place between the locks of my hair.

Gingerly, I placed my fingers onto the clip perched on my head.

"Heh~ it looks good on you." The redhead grinned at me.

I blushed. "Thank you…." And then a question occurred to me. "How did you catch it? I saw you jumping about, but then you suddenly stopped for a long while…"

He popped his gum and whistled before replying. "I just stood there, and they came to me. If I go after them they fly away, so I do the exact opposite, and they come to me instead~"

I blinked, never having thought of that. Wow, he was a genius.

"Probably wont work in most places so quickly, but there are so many here, that it works pretty quickly." I was starting to see this man in a new light. He wasn't all looks and physique after all~ he truly was a genius.

My head leaned back instinctively, when he raised a hand towards my face….but it then moved up towards the clip. Briefly, I felt his fingertips graze gently across my cheeks.

He smiled. And I blushed, looking at him suspiciously. "What?"

Shaking his head, he grinned. "Nothing. Just thinking that, this butterfly could be a symbol, you know."

Now he's speaking weirdly. "Symbol of what?"

For a moment, his eyes twinkled, then they turned confused and sad, and then they went back to their cheerful demeanor. I was thoroughly thrown off. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, with the array of emotions I was seeing in him.

"What's wrong?" I was worried despite my confusion with him.

He chewed his gum for awhile before replying. "Nah, I just thought of something I read once in a book."

"You read?" I joked.

He rolled his eyes, drawling at me. "Yes I do. Even geniuses have to study a bit." He went quiet again.

"….What is it that you read?"

"There was a French poet….I was going through a book on his works. He once said that: _"__The butterfly is a flying flower. The flower a tethered butterfly."_"

I turned solemn at his words. Just…what is going through his head?

Marui shook his head, as if to rid his thoughts. "Bah. I've been hanging out with Oshitari too much. That guy has been polluting my mind with his romantic novels." Spinning on his heels, he started back towards where the main life of the Hime-sama Douchu was, the way we came from. "Let's head back and look at the other stuffs~"

I watched him go quietly for a while, before finally starting after him. I was once again following him, staring at his back. It was like staring at the back of a book.

It's like I was reading a book starting from the end….I didn't know where he begun…or rather, maybe I didn't know where he ended.

I can't tell who he is.

……….Or maybe I do. Maybe I don't….

There was so much that I don't know about this man, this host. He acted in ways that I can predict, and sometimes in ways that I can't. He was rational and irrational; Childish and mature. He was lively, and at the same time, sombre. He was the unclouded sun, but moments later he'll morph into a shrouded star.

He was **wine** and **bubblegum**.

And it was a combination that I have to get used to….or dissect. Or accept.

Biting my lips, I fingered the butterfly clip in my hair with a shaky hand.

But wine and bubblegum, it was still a taste that repulses me.

* * *

**If you remember, it was in Kumiko's habit to bite her fingers when she got nervous =D**

**So sorry for the lateness. School was killing me. Some things are going on for me in school right now, which I do not want to bore you guys with, but please know that its killing me, and I'm at the stage where I randomly throw a tantrum and/or cry =( **

**I'm hoping it will pass for me soon.**

**I'm now writing a bit of the story whenever I can, so updates are a bit slower now. It's a lie when they said these are our golden years. Feels so dark, with all that mountains of work blocking out the shining sun x_X;Sigh, Marui and Sasori, and probably little bits of Akaya, are the only things giving me warmth and light in my life right now...~ ....Does Ookawa Genki count? x_X; He's not a character....xp  
**

**But man, anyone want to drop by my deviantart, take a look and possibly commission me? ;D I'm trying to get money to buy the PoT Finals Fan Disc Time Comes Around TwT I think I lost half of my body's blood content as I watching the Gouka Kenran PV in the DVD online. I have all the song albums, but not the fan disc T_T Me wants! *pummels parents for money but gets none***

**whee 63 reviews! Thanks a lot guys!! XD**

**hokkyokusei- haha I guess I was updating too much the past week, so my story kept popping up XD *hug* aww, it makes me happy to know you enjoy it ^_^**

**SapphirebReeze19- haha warm fuzzy feeling XD I think we all get that when we look at Marui ;D well, I do at least. lol xp**

**elusivemelody- xp yea, I was on some Marui high that day. Died now though with school T_T hmm? Romeo and Juliet? D: Well, I didnt think of Romeo and Juliet writing this though...I never even read the book, to be honest XD never liked those two- suicidal teens D: And inspiration writing him as a streetdancer? I have no qualms about that. I wrote him as a host, wrote him as a selfish jerk, a rich spoiled brat, a mature caring teen- I think I can make him a streetdancer XD I did once thought of writing a story about him being an idol actor once, but I had too many unfinished stories so I left that as a note on my comp for next time XD; but if I have a plot, or if you have one, of him being a streetdancer, run it over to me and I wont mind writing one up if it appeals to me =D and heck, Marui did street dancing with Gakuto etc in the PoT Otome game XD  
**

**LadyLadington- haha is it? I thought it was cheesy lol hmhmhm~ not sure what this chapter entailed for their relationship lol I was in english class today and had a funny thought- what if someone annotated this story? What kind of explanation would they come up with for my writings on Marui's and Kumiko's relationships? XD; ahaha school is ruining my mind. Lol Kirihara is cute xD I wanna write a side story of him and Kumiko w *gushes over Kumiko* I think I love her too much, and ignore the others D: and I know I was missing out on something regarding the kobe beef, but I really cant hold it down =/ I usually barf after eating beef x_X;**

**PhoenixRage92- haha but Kirihara is so cute x3 lol Asuka and Niou's affinity with one another....people should stay away. They might get hurt XD; Note* I am God in this D:**

**demonsadist- haha thank you XD glad you find the progress of the story to your liking =D  
**


	17. Tying Up Ends

_"Fine Line"_

_"Courage doesnt always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow." - Mary Anne Radmacher  
_

_Chapter 17: Tying Up Ends_

* * *

My eyes blinked open, and I laid there unmoving in my bed. The air-conditioned room air caressed over my bare arms, and the soft blankets beckoned me to just curl up again and sleep, letting the overwhelming scent of azalea lure me into slumber.

But I can't go back to sleep.

Not with _that_ racket going on outside my room.

"GOOOD MOORNING~!!!"

Eyes squeezing shut, I winced and pulled the pillow over my head, the voice resonating from the other side of the door penetrating its thick wood and piercing my ears.

I'm so glad I was smart this time and locked the door before sleeping.

"Kumiko-CHAAAAN! WAKE UPPP!!"

I groaned. "Go away…Aya-chan…."

I don't think she heard me.

"WAKE UP! OR WE'LL MISS BREAKFAST!!"

Just as I was about to throw my pillow at the door, a loud slam was heard.

"E-eh?! A-Asuka-chan, h-"

"GET THE *BEEEEP* OUT OF HERE! PEOPLE ARE *BEEP* TRYING TO *BEEP BEEEP BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP* SLEEP!"

"Okaaay!!!!"

Another slam was heard, and moments later, the sound of another door clicking shut was heard.

A soft sigh floated from me, and I relaxed my body back into the sinfully soft bed. I closed my eyes, but opened them again two minutes later.

I couldn't sleep anymore.

"Damnit Aya!" I muttered, sitting up but my body jerked. "Oww…"

My muscles were sore all over from yesterday- it was that retarded Empedocles race's fault! Glancing to the side, I saw the prize paper on the bedside table, and next to it was the butterfly Marui gave me.

Gently, I fingered the wings of it, nearly fooling myself into thinking that it was a real butterfly again. Rinko had freaked when she saw it on my head yesterday, and swatted at my head, thinking it was a real butterfly. Luckily, Oshitari had stopped her and explained to her that it was a clip before I could get a concussion.

Wincing as I slid myself out of bed, I walked over to the dresser with slow and jolty steps. "Morning, Nipoi-kun~" I lightly tapped the glass bowl the goldfish was swimming in, before dropping little bits of fish food in. I named him 'Nipoi', since he was won by Marui with only two pois! ….retarded, I know.

A nice maid had given me the bowl and a container of fish food when we were returning to our rooms yesterday. She had instantly stopped me and asked for my room number, delivering the bowl and fish food later. She was so nice…I should have asked for her name and praised her to Atobe.

Watching the little creature, I later headed off to shower. It might help my sore muscles…

Today was the second day of the Prisma Festival. And although I wasn't much of a sport yesterday, and I was at first reluctant to come at Aya's behest, I had fun yesterday, surprisingly. I won't deny it that I did.

I'm actually glad I came.

Now that it was the second day, I was surprised to find that I was slightly upset that the festival will end soon. That meant no more wondrous surprises, no more beautiful gardens and icy crystals, no more luxurious food and bed, no more of those hosts.

No more Marui.

I'll have to say thank you to him later, for all his help here, and for all the fun he had forced me into. If he hadn't, I probably would still hate Aya for bringing me here, as I will most likely not have taken part in anything and experienced the life of the festival.

I also had to thank him for Nipoi….and the butterfly, properly.

"Lavender flavor toothpaste….?" I questioned dubiously at my toothbrush, staring at the foreign substance that lay across it. I didn't even bother to take out my toothpaste from my bag, as I spotted they provided them. But I didn't expect _lavender_ flavor….

Hm. These things taste pretty good…if I didn't know better, I would have swallowed it.

The group of us was directed to the dining hall as soon as we reached the end of our hallway (which was pretty long by the way). And we were treated to one of the most extravagant breakfast I ever had in my life.

I shall not describe it to you, because I want to spent my time eating as much as I could, rather than nitpicking out the details which I always do….due to my artsy habit.

I finished earlier than the others, excluding Yura. The girl didn't have much of a large appetite. Already full to the brim, I waited with Yura as the other three continue scourging down the food. Then again, even if I didn't want to wait for them, no one else in the hall seems to be leaving.

As if they were waiting for something else to happen.

And something did happen. That something happening to be Atobe.

A round of cheers came from majority of the female horde (much to the displeasure of some of their male escorts) as the charismatic man entered from one of the doorways, and made his way to the center of the dining hall, where everyone had a good view of him.

There wasn't much that he said. He made short work of the morning greetings- at least, it seemed short to me.

"And I do hope that everyone of you has brought a dress for a very special occasion." His velveteen voice drifted across the room, and instantly every head turned and paid close attention to him, not that they weren't paying attention before. Safe for the rare male, and the occasional female, Yura for example. The girl was poking at the remains of her meringue sundae, having not much interest for hosts.

But another special occasion? Wasn't the Hime-sama Douchu already a special occasion? Did they really _need_ another one?

"God…I hope this isn't too bad…" I muttered somberly, and Rinko pushed my guts.

Wincing, I returned my attention to Atobe.

"To celebrate the second and final night of the Prisma Festival, we'll be having a party tonight."

Murmurs erupted around the room as many of the femmes got excited at the prospect of a grand party- much, much different from the Hime-sama Douchu, which was more simple and traditional. Although I didn't find it really simple…

"It'll be a masked party tonight."

My head came up from my propped arm, and I turned to Yura for confirmation. "Did he say masked?"

"He did…" Yura tilted her head at me. "Why?"

"Nothing…" Why would he have a masked party? They're host clubs; it didn't really make sense to me. I mean, after all, host clubs are all about their pretty and aneurysm inducing looks as well as their charming personalities. So why would they mask themselves, and hide from the world one of their best-selling points?

Finishing up on the details of the party tonight, he left the room and we were now free to go wherever we wanted. Aya of course, wanted to get a mask first. "Let's go, let's go!"

A butler directed us to a room where they kept various types and sizes of masks, and already a whole lot of girls were there choosing. Maids were around, helping the guests pick out masks, try them on, and getting it for them from areas they do not want to reach up to, or bend down to.

Everyone had split to go find their own and I wandered about aimlessly, deciding to wait for the crowd to disperse before choosing.

We probably spent about 2 hours in there, before Asuka finally picked one. That left Aya and Rinko. Yura picked one in the first 20 minutes. I continued to wait, although it did not seem like the crowd was getting any smaller, since when two went out, another three came in.

At the peak of our 5th hour in there, most of the people were _finally_ gone. And so were the masks. Needless to say, we spent most of the day away here.

"Really, you should have picked a mask rather than wait!" Aya cried, picking and dropping a mask that lay on a table. "The good ones are all gone!"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't mind…doesn't really matter anyway. Its not like we're keeping them." I glanced at Yura's mask. "Besides, Yura's mask isn't as fancy either, so I see no problems."

Aya rolled her eyes. "That's because simplicity suits Yura!"

My lips turned into a frown. "Doesn't mean I can't utilize simplicity…" Sometimes, I wonder about the childishness of my friend.

Aya sighed and went around the room, searching for a mask that suited me. I didn't really mind if mine was the prettiest or not, I'll just pick whatever resonated to me- or the prettiest available. Heheh~

I picked up a mask from a shelf, but as I lifted it to my face, one of the feathers broke off. "Oops…"

I stared dully at the mask whose feather I broke for several moments.

"Hey, Kumiko-chan! How about this one?" I looked at the mask Aya showed me. Then I looked back at the mask in my hand.

"I'll take this one."

~***~

Our day was mostly spent exploring the festival some more, and running into the hosts once in awhile. Majority of the inside was closed off from the guests today, as they were busy preparing for the party, so we lingered outside.

Night rolled around all too fast, and I found myself heading towards the area where the party was to be held, fingers constantly fidgeting with the mask on me. Aya was fidgeting with hers too, although for completely different reasons.

"It's so uncomfortable wearing these!!" She grumbled, threatening to pull the mask off and break it in half.

I didn't find it uncomfortable at all. In fact, I liked it.

I liked the fact this hid my face away from the world; it gave me…a sense of security. And I do not have to worry about my face flooding red again either and embarrassing myself. It just made me more secure when people can't see my face, or recognize me.

When we arrived at the hall, large numbers of people were already there- everyone with a mask, and no one I can recognize due to that.

I stepped closer to Aya, not feeling up to losing her in this crowd of unidentifiable faces.

Asuka wanted to ravish the bar and its supplies first, so that was where we headed. The girl got herself several glasses of bourbon in one go! I think might, or might not, mourn the loss of that.

Alcohol not being my type of thing, I wandered off to the nearest table with desserts on it. This time, I ditched all worries of calories and whatnot out the window. This is a one in a lifetime chance to eat these glorious desserts prepared by some of the best chefs out there! As if I will worry about calories right now.

Yura had found a table by the time I returned, and I placed my plate of confectioneries on the silkened table surface, finishing whatever I had and returned for another round of desserts. I probably made 3 trips to the dessert table in less than an hour.

I furrowed my brow, as someone took the last slice of Dobos cake. My eyes trained on the plate where the cake now laid, and then shifted up to the face of the person- but it was masked.

Masked it maybe however, I could recognize that glaring mop of red hair anywhere…

I couldn't see his face, but he tiled his head at me and pointed to the Dobos cake. "You wanted this?"

I glanced down at the cake, and usually I would have said no, but for some reason, I said yes tonight. Maybe it was because of the mask.

I could see him biting his lips in hesitance. Clearly, he wanted that cake badly as well.

He finally sighed, and handed his plate to me. I took it and smiled, albeit guiltily. "Thank you."

The both of us stood there, and he finally turned back to the dessert table and started filling another plate. Can he…not recognize me with the mask on?

Glancing back down at the Dobos cake, the guilt finally eating away at me, I grabbed a fork and sliced it in half, depositing one half of it onto another plate. I tapped him on the shoulder, and he glanced back at me.

"Hm?" He was chewing something.

"Here." He looked down at the cake, and I couldn't tell what his expression was, but he looked back up at me and shook his head. "The wants of the lady comes first~ I can live without the cake." He really did not recognize me, and- psh, about him living without the cake. From the time I knew him, he was a cake God.

"No really, take it. It's too much calories anyway…" In all honesty, it wasn't a matter about calories. It was just me feeling bad.

He rolled his tongue about in his mouth, before taking the plate. "I don't really believe you-since you cant fool a genius like me- but if you insist~"

Slightly annoyed, I wondered if he was like this all the time, whether he knew the person or not. It made me confused as to what his customers saw in him. Sure, even I can't deny his adorably cute face, but he was just so annoying sometimes!

Like a little kid! In fact, he _is_ a kid!

My eyes widened beneath my mask when he stepped closer and leaned down to my eye level, bright lavender eyes peeking at me through his mask. I gulped, and wondered if he could recognize me now.

"For some reason, you're awfully familiar…" I suppose a lot of girls here had brown eyes…

"Can you take your mask off?" Lavender eyes lit up and he grinned at me.

A hand landed on his shoulder. "Marui! It's a masked party. We're not supposed to take your mask off." A slightly taller man came up next to him. I recognized light hair, though I was deciding whether it was Shiraishi, or Kenya. I was hoping it was Kenya. I still haven't exactly figured out how I would talk with Shiraishi.

"Ah-! You just gave my identity away!" Marui pouted, crossing his arms.

I could tell the other male was rolling his eyes. "With your hair color and style, it's obvious who you are. Doesn't take a genius to find out."

Marui huffed, and then smirked. "Well, I am pretty famous after all~"

Does this guy ever gets tired of praising himself? ….probably not.

"Umm…I'll go back to my table now…" I started to turn but the other man stopped me.

"Would you care to dance with me, milady?"

My body stiffened considerably. "I can't dance."

He gave a light laugh. And my stomach twisted at that familiar laugh. "Just follow my lead."

I gulped as he lead me to the center of the room, where other pairs are also dancing to the music. I peeked out of the corner of my eye to see Asuka still at the bar, and Rinko conversing with Yuushi. Aya was engrossed in a mind match of some sort Yura was engaging in with Yukimura.

I turned back to my impromptu dance partner when I felt his hand on my waist, and my throat tightened when he placed one of my hand on his shoulder, and grasped the other in his.

He started to lead.

I kept my head down most of the time, trying not to step on his feet. He chuckled at this after a few minutes into the song. "You're going to hurt your neck if you keep doing that."

Biting my lip, I warily took my eyes away from our feet. "Well, I don't want to stub your toe…"

"Ishimaru-san, definitely." He laughed.

I was startled. "H-how did you know?"

I may not be able to see his eyes, but he was grinning, his lips pulled to the sides in mirth. "I get around a lot, being a host, and I know almost every lady here in this room. Not one speaks like you do- cause most customers to host clubs would not be like you; they'd be like Chiyoko-san."

I grimaced, finding certain evidence in that. Customers to host clubs would be more like Asuka I suppose….I could not imagine other people who were like me going to host clubs. I did not even _have_ the idea of _me_ being at one before. "But then again, there are a few like you out there of course. But I'm confident I can tell between all of you, just based on your way of speech." He chuckled, twirling me once before bringing me back in.

"Are you…Shiraishi-san?" I asked, nervousness coursing my veins.

That current of nerves exploded when he gave a nod of his head. Oh…

I fell silent after that. I knew I wanted to talk to him. Thank him for saving me, and confirm with him Rinko's claims. But I didn't have the guts to. It was such a…weird subject for me.

I know it clearly myself that I should just be grateful that I'm still even breathing right now, rather than worry whether my first kiss was actually gone or not. And I was grateful. But I was also…also….

I couldn't place a name on that emotion.

It's just something that nagged at me. You know how some girls find their first kisses wholly important, while others don't? Well, I was one of those who fretted over my first kiss.

Steeling myself, I pulled my eyes away from our moving feet. "Shiraishi-san, did you really save me back then?"

Shiraishi seemed to be silent for a moment, just merely looking down at me. But I couldn't really tell, whether he was looking at a spot behind me, at the floor, or me. His mask denied me that.

"Yea, I did."

"I see…thank you…"

The two of us just swayed slowly to the soft melody drifting from the musicians at the corner of the room. He was silent, and so was I. But it wasn't quite as uncomfortable as I thought it would be, talking to Shiraishi again.

He saved me.

And I guess that should be all that mattered.

I was a hypocrite, for calling Marui a kid and childish. Because I was as well.

Childish for making such a big matter over a lost kiss; especially when it saved my life.

Over Shiraishi's shoulder, I could see the redhead standing by a couple of other girls, eating away at the half slice of Dobos cake I gave him.

…..wait, isn't that _my_ slice?

I was certain I gave him the tip part of the cake, not the end part.

He seemed to have felt my eyes on him, and turned to investigate. Catching my eyes, he smirked, purposefully forking another mouthful of cake and swallowing it.

I felt my eyebrow tick in annoyance.

My gaze was torn from him however, and did not catch his pondering look, when Shiraishi called my name. I looked up at him in question.

He shot me a curious and dubious glance, and I thought I caught traces of hesitance in his eyes. "That time when I saved you…"

My shoulders stiffened, and he seemed to notice but continued anyway. "It wasn't your first kiss, right?"

"………………"

He took my silent as a yes, and glanced away to the side guiltily. "Sorry."

At that word, my feet stopped moving and I stared up at him, appalled. "Why?"

He ran a bandaged hand through his ash locks, and I might have blushed or swoon (mentally, mind you) at that action, but the situation right now did not call for it or allow me to think about it.

"Well, I know how first kisses are important to girls sometimes…." He trailed off, and I found it a strange sight to see the ever confident and collected Shiraishi baffled and hesitant.

I shook my head in disbelief. "Shiraishi-san, you saved my life. I think that's more important than losing a first kiss…" I giggled nervously. Now that I think about it, it's kinda silly and sad, that a girl at my age still hasn't gotten her first kiss. And now that I did, I got it in the weirdest of situations; drowning. "I owe you my life, Shiraishi-san." I smiled up at the man in genuine appreciation.

His shoulders seemed to relax at my words, and he smiled back at me. I blushed this time, as he took up my hand again and placed one on my waist.

As we continued the waltz, I could not help but take in the scent of this man. He had this tropical smell to him, or rather, a musky scent that was akin to that of a forest after a refreshing rain-wash.

It was calming.

I closed my eyes as relaxation set into me, and I could not help but idly compare him to Marui in the subconscious of my mind.

Marui's scent was…not calming. It set me off edge. It was innocent, and alluring. Something beautiful and something dangerous.

As if by some sort of magic, my eyes opened to see Marui dancing with a girl about my age nearby us. They stopped suddenly and the girl spoke a few words, and the two headed towards me and Shiraishi.

"Ne, Shiraishi. May I cut in~?" He asked cheekily to my dance partner.

Shiraishi smiled lazily at him before passing my hand to Marui, and then taking up the hand of Marui's ex-dance partner. I watched the girl giggle shyly into one well-kept hand, as Shiraishi started her off onto the next song.

I turned back to Marui and tiled my head in confusion. "Why?"

The redhead shrugged nonchalantly. "She wanted to try dancing with Shirashi. And the princess gets what she wants, of course~"

For some reason, I felt a small twinge in my heart when he called someone else 'princess.' I didn't want to call it jealousy, because I know that I did not see Marui like that, but that undeniable and bitter feeling was there, plucking at a small corner of my heart.

"Oh, okay…" I hoped my voice didn't sound bitter.

He bowed suddenly, and extended his hand to me. "May I have this dance, Kumiko-hime?"

I blinked, startled at the reference of my name. He knew it was me?

He noticed my shock from the small jolt of my body, and smirked, pushing up his mask on one side to wink at me before sliding it back down. "Cant fool a genius like me~"

I grimaced, before hesitantly placing my hand on his shoulder. He hummed idly as we just moved along, and I glanced around to see what my friends were up to.

As I expected, Rinko was dancing with Yuushi, and Aya with Yagyuu. Yura was at the bar with Jackal- and Kirihara was with them, watching them mix various cocktails with great interest. Asuka was downing the cocktails they made one by one, and by her side was Ootori watching worriedly, ready to act if the girl collapsed from alcohol overdose.

My eyes suddenly widened when the slow orchestra suddenly drifted to something with a faster beat. I turned to Marui in horror. "I-I can't dance!"

I can see his lips pull into a pout of confusion. "You were dancing just fine just now."

"T-that was a slow song. I-I can't do faster ones-!" The stutters I usually get when I'm nervous are back. I stuttered always when I first met Marui; but it was gone with the time I spent with him. But its back now.

He pushed his mask up, and lavender eyes rolled heavenwards. "You're not going to die from just dancing."

I wanted to scream at him that I look like a fool dancing. And the last thing I wanted to do was make a fool of myself and _be_ a fool. It was the sole reason I avoided outings!

"W-well, you can't make me dance!" I grounded, removing my arms and crossing them. "The princess gets what she wants, right?" I hoped she does.

"Hime-sama Douchu is over." He grinned. "Besides, its not _that_ fast."

The musicians playing previously had left to take a break; hence the stereo songs now. Marui gripped my hand as Niou leapt onto the stage at the other end of the hall, and grabbed a mic.

"Let's see who can dance to this fantastical –literally- music, puri~" He then went off and started urging the girls who weren't already dancing earlier to find a partner and dance, picking up Aya from Yagyuu at the end to dance with her. Yagyuu merely pushed his glasses up from his stolen partner before kindly offering to dance with a girl who had been standing off to the side.

A woman's voice came lulled into my ear, singing tenors with an unbelievable voice.

"H-how are we supposed to dance to this?!" I squeaked, not understanding how we could dance to this sort of tune.

"That's the whole point of Niou's challenge just now!" Marui grinned. He pulled on my hand, and I was sent twirling into him. If he hadn't caught me at the end, I would have stumbled. "Just dance. Think later." He breathed before sliding an arm around my waist and lifting me off the ground.

I bit down a squeal and instinctively wrapped my arm around his neck and shoulder, as I was spun around, one leg slipping out to the side to allow momentum, and another gripped around Marui's hip- and I was surprised to realize that I did all this without even thinking it through. It was just the spur of the moment.

The music certainly was fantastical. And I believe Niou meant it in a fantasy themed sort of way, rather than quality. The lyrics and the voices of the singers had a way of enrapturing your mind and logic, bringing you into the world their voices created. But then, the song itself was beautiful- not in the calm and serene sense; it was magical, like listening to playful nymphs singing.

"_Like a dream of midday shadows, we shall fall towards the light~"_

I don't know if Marui was just trying to make me have a heart attack, or just dancing according to the song- but he suddenly dipped me down low and one of my leg came up in pure instinct to secure myself; this he gripped, dropping me lower before I was pulled back up.

My eyes closed as I was spun out, hand sliding out of Marui's. Taking his advice, I didn't think at all.

Just danced.

"And who said they can't dance?" He chuckled, and I frowned, turning my head away from him in embarrassment.

The song had ended- putting a stop to the fantasy spell it had casted over the room and me. When it did however, I didn't think through my words (curse Marui's advice) before I spoke. "Will they play the song again?" I had asked.

He poked fun at me for it.

I dropped onto a chair tiredly, 4 songs already draining me of my energy. 2 and a half song with Shiraishi, and 1 and a half with Marui. The last song being the most draining, despite it being the one I enjoyed the most.

A soft thud on the silk surface brought my gaze forward, to find a plate of Dobos cake.

I looked up to Marui in bafflement. Weren't they out?

"I got the waiter to scrounge one out from the stores. Atobe wont miss one cake~" H winked cheekily at me, and red creeped up again under my mask. But of course, I thanked him gratefully nonetheless, before shamelessly eating the cake. I had always loved Dobos cake~! But they were widely unavailable in Japan-good ones anyway- and I missed the first time I sunk my teeth through one on a short trip to Hungary with my parents' years ago.

I found more to talk to Marui about with that night. The both of us shared a common interest in sweets, although mine stayed around the area of cakes, whilst his went all the way to lollipops, gum, candy and the sort. Actually, he just liked all kinds of good food, according to him. But sweets are his main choice, since he eats them to keep him awake and going everyday.

I looked at him in surprise. "So you chew bubblegum everyday to keep your energy up?"

He nodded his head, mouth filled with the tiramisu he just swallowed.

"But you were so amazing back during the Empedocles race!!" I exclaimed, not believing his claims.

He rolled his eyes. "I'm just amazing that way, Kumiko-chan."

"………" Can I not ever get an honest answer out of this man? Or are these egoistic replies truly his style of honest answers? Cause if it was, I underestimated how much confidence he had in himself then.

He finished another slice of blueberry cheesecake just as I started on a strawberry shortcake, and then spoke up. "Ne, after this, you still going to visit Club Prism?"

The fork froze in its trip to my lips. My doe-eyes blinked at him.

"Umm…." I had no answer. I saw no reason as to why I would go again, when I didn't like these sorts of things. But then, it would be a waste of that prize paper…Its unfortunate that I could not sell it to one of the wealthy ladies here.

The fork of strawberry cheese entered my mouth, and I slurred it around.

I did say I'd bring Aya to a host club…but I hadn't actually thought about _which_ host club. She's a regular enough at Club Prism, so there wasn't much point in going there.

Marui focused on his share of cakes as he awaited my answer. He probably figured out I didn't have an answer at the moment.

I sneaked a peek at him, and then looked around, spotting Shiraishi and then Niou. Turning my gaze the other way, I saw Kajimoto and Kenya, and then Ootori and Shishido joined the scene.

Do I really want to go back to the host clubs though?

I met some really great people there…and I didn't want our friendship to end just like that. But then, my heart always felt heavy at the thought of stepping through those pristine doors…

My cake was falling apart, losing balance with all the holes I poked into it. My appetite was gone.

It was like going to school for me. I enjoyed school, because I get to see Aya, and the teachers I admired. But then, I despaired every waking day of it, because I would just flit through the halls and disappear in the classroom. I'd watch people gather at my table, asking Aya to go with them afterschool, before leaving after convincing her to come.

Aya would turn to me and frown, wondering why they didn't invite me.

And I would tell her the same thing every time.

"Because I wasn't you."

I could only think of the dark years of my life. One in which, without Aya, I would undoubtedly have collapsed and given up.

I didn't realize the small beads of perspiration gathering on my neck, one sliding down my cheek. I hadn't felt my eyes quiver, and so did my lips. I hardly registered the small stinging in my eyes, as I felt them get wetter.

But the redhead besides me did.

"You don't have to answer."

My gaze slid to him, not understanding. His chin was propped on his palm, fingers curled in and resting against the smooth expanse of his cheek. His lavender eyes which I always seemed to take note of, wasn't looking at me; they were looking off to the side, soft red locks falling over them as he titled his head further away.

And it reminded me of how many times people had done that to me too; leaning away from me, staying away from me.

_~***~_

Rinko cried as our bags were put away into Asuka's car by the butlers, and Yura comforted her.

Around us, most of the guests were preparing to leave, bidding goodbye to newfound friends and their favorite hosts.

Our group was the same. Aya was currently waiting for her chance to pounce on Atobe and thank him, and Rinko scampered off to find any hosts she had connected with during her time here and bawl to them.

Yura exchanged friendly words of farewell with Jackal whilst Asuka wasn't too affected by the thought of leaving. She could visit them anytime anyways, as she had said.

I stood by her car, playing with my fingers. I had already given a quick bid of goodbye to Kajimoto and Kenya, and even Niou, but Akutagawa had seen it fit to pull me into a bear hug similar to the one he gave me on our first day here. I chatted with Shiraishi for awhile, before he had to leave to go attend to other girls who were also eagerly waiting his attention. Tentatively, I had given him a loose hug as thanks. He just smiled and patted my head.

I had yet to say anything to Marui.

Making up my mind, I gulped and lifted my head to look around for the redhead.

But minutes passed, and I still have yet to see him. Turning to Yura, I told her that I would be back.

I searched for him throughout the spacious parking area, but could not find any mop of bright pink-red hair that belonged only to him. I had searched for half an hour now, to no avail.

Trudging back to the car, where the others were already done with their farewells, I dejectedly slid into the backseat of the car by the window. Aya sat in the center once again, and Rinko next to her.

As soon as Yura closed her door, Asuka backed out of the car park, driving down the lane that lead us to the gates.

Moodily, I gazed out the window as the still-decorated bushes passed by us.

Aya poked my shoulder worriedly. "What's wrong, Kumiko-chan?"

I shook my head, eyes not once leaving the window. "Nothing."

I felt her shift beside me, and heard her speak to me again, but a blur of red outside caught my attention.

My body jolted upright, and I pressed my hands against the window, peering out intensely to get a better view.

It was Marui- walking out of the entrance door of the palace, looking like he just woke up.

Before I knew it, I had rolled the window down and stuck my head out.

"Eh?! Kumiko-chan!! That's dangerous!!" Aya shrieked, tugging at my shirt.

With all my might, I called out to the annoying redhead.

"Marui-saaaaan!!!"

He perked up at the call of his name, and wide eyes looked around before spotting me, going by in Asuka's car, head stuck out of the window, hair going everywhere and looking like a madwoman.

"I'll go again!" My hands cupped my mouth, hoping it would propel my voice far enough to him.

He titled his head, and blinked at me in confusion, eyes still wide in shock.

"I'll go to Club Prism again!! Definitely!!"

The confusion and shock cleared from his eyes, and a smirk fell into place on his undeniably beautiful face.

Asuka turned a corner on the lane then, and his figure was lost to me behind the hedges.

I backed up into the safety of the car again, and Yura quickly had my window brought up. Aya slapped me on the head. "What do you think you were doing?!!"

Rinko laughed, patting Aya on the back. "Calm down, Aya-chan. She was just declaring her love~ No harm in that."

I turned red, but bit back any denies and comment. Arguing against Rinko is futile and redundant. It only drains our energy.

Leaning back into my seat, I closed my eyes, allowing myself to finally relax and get the sleep I lost last night.

"I was just giving what I owed."

I did after all, owe him an answer.

* * *

**The song is Oblivious by Kalafina, live version. Try dancing to that song! =D Its super addictive and magical~ lul If possible, try getting their live performance; which I love better since they do their own adlibs and all =)**

**whee my Genki (Tenimyu Kirihara Akaya actor) and Hamao (4th Gen Eiji Kikumaru) DVD/CD are arriving soon ^w^ *is excited***

**Sorry this chapter too longer guys; but I'm failing physics and maths D:**

**Reviews are appreciated as usual =D and thanks for reviewing!! *huggles all*  
**

**Resonance Breaks Glass- *scratches head* umm, sorry? X_x; I guess Kumiko turned out that way cause…I dunnoe. She's my OC, and you know…we usually base our OC's off us(sometimes). I guess I can relate to Kumiko more, and that's why I use her often and as my main, not the others like Aya or Asuka. Well…yea, she's basically a fragment of me x_X; I…don't do well with crowds and lots of people (hence, I go to no parties and have little social life). And the thing about your cousin's girlfriend, for some reason, most parents now don't think art as a really good skill to have. I originally wanted to be an illustrator, but now I'm looking at civil engineering in my future *sigh*. That's life I guess lul cant always have it the way we want; and sorry my OC isn't to your liking x_X; But thanks for taking a look and bearing through all the chapters which must have been horrible for you! X_X**

**Juunin-****I didnt exactly describe butterflies as love, but then they usually do symbolize love XD** **Its kinda sad to catch butterflies sometimes though. I'm always scared their wings might break =(**

**Lady Ladington- Haha I actually disliked the last chapter a bit; found Marui a bit OOC x_X And yesh, I think Marui is more of a genius than Oshitari ;D and I COMPLETELY understand how you feel! I just kept screaming and squealing as I was watching the PV XXD I think my household thought I was being stabbed to death or something haha and I keep grinning like an idiot at school when I watch it on my PSP XD my friends says I'm nuts haha nuts for loving an anime character this much; but Marui is just too wonderful not to love T_T And yes, I'm hoping to get the fan disc =D Saving my commission money to buy it haha since I just spent all my money on Tenimyu items x_X Partically Genki lol**

**elusivemelody- haha ever heard of the dance Jumpstyle? I tried doing that once xD really hard to do, since we need lots of leg power and speed x_X But I was considering making a fic of Marui a Jumpstyle dancer, after you brought up the dance thing XD and grats on the end of your exams =D ahaha I'm surprised and happy to know my writing _actually_ evoked some sort of emotion in you lol since I cant seem to feel anything when I read them x_X I always thought they were bland cause of that D:**

**PhoenixRage92- Neither did I know he was, until I wrote this rofl. But then again, he _is _a genius, and he has grown up somewhat since middle school (hopefully) in this fic, so I imagine him to at least have some wisdom in him, rather than being a brat all the way ;D  
**


	18. Drearily Sweet

"_Fine Line"_

_"Into each life some rain must fall; some days must be dark and dreary" -Henry Wadsworth  
_

_Chapter 18: Drearily Sweet  
_

~***~

I couldn't believe it.

My eyes widened, and I saw gray; multitudes of various shades of gray. They were all bleak, and monotone.

My hand gripped the piece of paper, its side crinkling from the force.

I could almost taste the blood that threatened to spill from my lips as my teeth grinded down on it.

I cant believe it…

I got a D-?!!!

A dark cloud hung over my mood that day, my body passed out over the top of my desk. I just could not believe that I got a C on my spring break homework…I had a gut feeling I was going to get a bad score due to the rush way I did it but…a D-? That's just too much for me to handle.

I wrapped my arms around my head, trying to keep in the tears that threatened to spill. I never got anything less than a B before in art; and that score was going to really hurt my overall performance.

Lecture had already ended, and everyone else has gone home for the day. But I remained in my seat by the window. The warm setting sun did not help my mood nor calm me down. It only served to set me further into my depression.

The clock tower outside the courtyard chimed, signaling the net hour- 6:00pm.

With a dejected sigh, I trudged out of my seat, sloppily picking up my works on the way out. The canvas painting I was so proud of before this, the one I was so eager to show Shiraishi and Kajimoto, slipped out of my hand, falling to the floor with a thud. I stared blankly back at it, but instead I thought of how I was going to explain to my parents that horrible score. I'd have to make at least 3 A's after this to get my grade back up again to where it originally was.

My eyes that were trained dully on the canvas suddenly spotted black shoes. The wearer suddenly stooped and picked up the canvas.

My eyes drifted up.

"Kirihara…-san?" My voice came out a soft croak. I hadn't drank any water for the past several hours.

The boy stared curiously at my canvas, eyes shifting back and forth between it and my dishelved appearance. He walked to a stop in front of me. "This yours?" He lifted the canvas with one hand, the other gripping a white plastic bag.

I nodded, although I didn't really want the painting back. I was most likely going to trash it along with the other two failed works when I got back.

He blinked sea green eyes at me, glancing back at the painting. "Heh, its pretty good."

I smiled bitterly. "You can keep it if you want."

He blanched at that however, and it didn't help my mood. "Why would I want to keep a painting of two guys?!"

I shrugged my shoulders, glancing off to the side carelessly. "I don't know…maybe hang them up in your room and curse their business, since you are rival hosts?" I usually wasn't this bitter and sarcastic. But I could not help my words, which were driven by my dampened spirits. Then I blinked, realizing something.

"Kirihara-san, why are you here at this time of the day?" It was already seeping into late evening, and here was this host, on the street that I walk everyday to my apartment, and he isn't at the host club.

Kirihara's eyes darkened suddenly and he grumbled under his breath. "Just cause I'm the youngest doesn't mean they can bully me into doing their errands…" Despite it being for himself, I still heard him.

I glanced down at the bag he held and my brain made the connection. "Marui-san?"

That seemed to trigger his anger. "Damnit! Why the hell must I come all the way down here just to buy a bag of his favorite SWEETS for him anyway?!!!" He growled, swinging the bag in front of me madly.

At that, I could not help a small smile flitting on my face. Sad as I am now, I could not resist when I saw the red flush of anger flaming across Akaya's face. It was adorable.

"I should just skip out on the last few hours of work time…" Akaya muttered, stuffing one hand into his pocket, but still keeping my canvas safe.

I reached out two hands to take the canvas from him gently, giving him a soft smile. "Well…if you really feel that way, my house is nearby. You can come in for awhile, and deprive Marui-san of his sweets for a bit."

"Eh, really? Thanks a bunch~!" He exclaimed like a rebellious punk who got out of trouble with his teachers. I don't usually randomly ask people to come to my house, much lest people I hardly knew; I was even reluctantly to let Marui and Jackal enter my house before this!

But I think I needed Kirihara's company today. Yura was busy with her own work, and god knows what Asuka and Rinko are up to. And I knew Aya was spending some quality time with Kikumaru, and I didn't want to bother them.

I pushed open my apartment door and flicked on the lights, Beside me, Kirihara scrunched his nose up. "It smells like paint in here."

I blushed in embarrassment. "Sorry. I must have forgotten to turn on the exhaust fan." Quickly, I ran to the back where my painting room was located and turned on the exhaust which would hopefully dispel the smell from the house soon.

Carelessly chucking the canvas and the other two painting to the side with it, I headed for the kitchen. "What would you like, Kirihara-san?"

The male wasn't looking at me, but the canvas. "You're just going to throw it there?" He asked surprised.

I pulled the fridge open, aimlessly looking for something to drink and snack on. "I didn't want it anyways…"

"Why not?" His voice came from the kitchen doorway, and I pulled out of the fridge, taking along with me a can of grape ponta. I handed this to him and he muttered a quick thanks before pulling the finger cap. Gas fizzed out of the drink and he took a large gulp.

I got a carton of apple juice for myself. "Its not good."

His eyes seemed to bulge at that. "Not good?! You blind?"

Instinctively, I took a step back from his loud voice. I never imagined a host to speak like that, on the job or not. Face flushing, I glanced at the empty sink. "It's not as good as I thought it was…" I admitted shyly.

"Huh?"

The depression came back again, as I finally admitted to him what has been poking holes at my mood for the whole. "You got a D- for that?!!" He exclaimed, baffled and the can of ponta nearly slipped out of his hand.

"It's not that surprising actually…we have pretty high standards for arts in our class."

He shook his head. "Yea but, D-?!" He still couldn't believe it.

"I guess you're just not used to seeing paintings, Kirihara-san. If not, you wouldn't react like this." I laughed in an attempt to change the topic.

He grumbled and blushed, looking away. I never thought I'd live to see this male blush. He seemed so…tough! "I'm not too much of an artistic person…" he muttered, swirling his ponta drink around.

Laughing quietly, I rested my arms on the table top. "I can tell. Kirihara-san looks more like a person who is sporty!"

He seemed to perk up at that. "I'm picky about my sport though. But tennis is one I play often. Ah-Games are also a past time I enjoy."

Kirihara could be chatty when he wants to, especially when he's familiar with the person enough. In a way, I figured he was a bit like me. Only instead of hiding behind blushes, stutters and shying away from the crowds, he toughens himself up and just beats up whoever picks on him.

It was about 2 hours or so that we just sat in my living room and talked. He was telling me about how people stayed away from him back during his school days because of his supposedly violent ways when his phone rang.

Without even checking the caller ID, he flipped it open.

"AKAYA! TARUNDORU!!"

I jumped in my seat, the deck of card I had been holding flying out of my hands. Kirihara reflexively removed the phonefrom his his, face paling. "Shit, Sanada-senpai…"

Cautiously, he placed the phone back to his ears. "H-hai?"

No loud voice boomed from the mobile this time, but Kirihara's face effectively got paler and more fearful as seconds passed by. "Hai, Yukimura-senpai…"

Oh, Yukimura…I remembered even I was slightly fearful of him back during the festival, before the mochi making contest started.

The white on his face quickly drifted away though, and his eyes darkened and a pout came onto his face. "Yes, I have your sweets."

Must be Marui.

Kirihara grinned evilly. "No. I'll give them to you tomorrow when I see you."

Judging from his words, I guess Marui wanted Kirihara to deliver them right now, but the seaweed-head didn't want to, continuing his rebellion. "Where I am? I'm at Kumiko-chan's place. Why?"

I played with my toe as he spoke into the phone. "You're coming over?!!" I nearly toppled over at Kirihara's sudden yell, and also because of his shocking statement.

"W-what?!" I stared at Kirihara, appalled.

Kirihara glared at the phone, before roughly shoving it into his pockets, hands pulling at his tie to loosen it. "He hung up on me!!"

I poked my fingers together nervously as Kirihata grumbled about being bullied and threatened to flush the bag of sweets down the toilet. "So…he's coming?"

He nodded like a pouting kid. "Yea."

"For the sweets?"

Sea green eyes rolled. "What else?"

"Okay…"

Kirihara seemed pretty upset for some reason, and I wondered why it was so.

He shrugged broad shoulders at my question, focusing intense eyes on me. "I didn't really care at first, but you know how after a prolonged time, you just get sick of it? For my whole year as a host, I always get sent on stupid errands for them, especially that egoistic-senpai and that trickster!!" He grounded out.

I smiled, unable to contain the small giggle that followed. "Yea…I know. It was the same for me back during my school years."

Lazy eyes drifted over to me. "Why is that?"

"I don't know, really."

The doorbell rang at that time, and I was glad for it. Because I really didn't know how to answer that question. I went to it and pulled it open, and bright lavender eyes greeted mine, although his were slightly tinted with a certain darkness.

"Yo, Kumiko-chan." He raised a hand in greeting, something like the victory sign, but more casual and relaxed.

Before I could reply however, I was suddenly shoved to the side by Kirihara. "You-!! Why did you-Wait a minute, how did you know how to get here anyway?!!" Kirihara pointed an accusing finger at his work senior.

Marui rolled his eyes and invited himself in. "You ask that _after_ I arrive?" He looked around the room, searching. I eased him of his pain by pointing to the corner where the bag was. "It's over there."

Instantly his eyes lit up and he leapt over, grabbing up the bag and giving it a tight hug before peeking inside to see their contents. Satisfied with what was inside, he patted Kirihara on the shoulder. "Least you got them all correct this time~"

Kirihara bristled at his comment. But before any argument could be started, I cut in meekly, scratching the back of my head. "Umm…"

Two pairs of eyes turned to look at me; and I pointed at the clock. "Its getting kinda late…"

Kirihara's mouth fell open in an 'O' and Marui just blinked cutely at the clock. Then he threw an arm around Kirihara's shoulders and started leading him towards the door. "Let's go now, Akaya~ the ladies need their beauty sleep." He winked at me as he passed by and Akaya was furiously grabbing at the hand around him.

"Bye-bye, Marui-san, Kirihara-san." Kirihara had given up trying to release himself from the forceful hold of his senior, and pouted but threw me an irritated glance nonetheless, muttering goodbye under his breath.

Just before I got the door to close all the way, Marui bent to his side and red hair slid sideways across his smooth skin, trying to keep in my view through the door gap. "Oi, you remember your promise right?"

I blinked and pulled the door back open. "Promise?"

He faked a melodramatic sigh and ran a hand through his hair. "Oh man, if all our customers were like you, we might go out of business!"

"…………" I stared blankly at him.

Peeking one eye open at me, he allowed a smirk to play across his lips. "You'll go to Club Prism again, wont you?"

Realization slapped me on the head. "O-oh…y-yes…" There was a silent "I think" lingering in the air.

He wagged a finger at me. "No doubts now~! Its hard to work with customers that are afraid!" He purposely reminded me of my first visit to the club, and that also quite coincidentally reminded me of when he pulled me to the club rooftop…He had spoken to me there, about working as a host club, and other topics that came to his mind.

I bit my lip, glancing off to the side nervously. Eyes shifting back to him and finding his sharp eyes trained on my face, heat raced across my cheeks. "O-okay…"

"Oh! And bring a friend or two~ we can use the extra customers!" A cheeky wink from him and I frowned, hands threatening to slam the door in his face. I'm not some gold bait for him to use!!

But before I can express my frustration, he grinned at me, and I felt my heart skip a beat.

The moon was out by now, and its soft silver rays casted an ethereal glow over him; shimmering silver mixing in with the magenta tone of his hair, creating an uncanny yet enchanting visage. His eyes shone with that same mischief and maturity, accentuated by the dim light reflecting over them.

_I felt like I was staring at a fallen angel._

"Goodnight, Kumiko-chan~!"

"G-goodnight, Marui-san…." I closed the doors, and leaned my forehead against it; and lightly hit myself over and over again on the wooden surface.

* * *

**Better appreciate this chapter! I ignored my homework to type this D; but then again, I was slightly inspired since I found the author of one of my MOST ABSOLUTE FAVE RIKKAI STORY EVER! It was discontinued 3 years ago, but she said she was willing to continue the story just for me T_T I'm so happy! She was impressed by my devotion -coughstalkerishcough- to her story, since I had been reading that story in intervals for the past 3 years now haha and even went as far as to message the people running the site 2 years back xD; and she pieced it all together today when I messaged her, and she finally know who that mystery reader is XD rofl **

**Thanks a lot for the reviews as usual!! 33 I know can type all my regular reviewers name without blinking XD well, all my reviews comes from the regulars anyways lol xD;**

**PhoenixRage92- haha sorry it took so long D: but school is torture lol Retarded it maybe, but I imagine the fish to be a wholly symbolic thing for Marui's and Kumiko's relationship ;D I'm thinking of using it as something to propel their relationship forward later on.. xD; well, I know I cant recognize people by voice sometimes LOL Marui probably figured out who she is by actions and voice a little, since during that short time with her, she hardly spoke lol not much of a chance there to confirm stuffs. Shiraishi weeded her out by speech =D as expected of the Bible! xD and I'm glad you liked the chapter =] I didnt particularly like it x_X**

**Yukimura X Satomi - haha I dont know how long it'll go actually. This is my longest fic ever D:**

**elusivemelody- haha I needed to tie up the end of the strings anyways (hence the name xD) but I dont think I'll just let that kiss slide off like that so easily. After all, a first kiss IS supposed to be really important for Kumiko haha FujiXMarui fic? ummm...well, I'm not too much of a yaoi or shonen-ai reader though x_X I just...cant read them or take the idea of it x-X I evade them like the plague D: if it was MaruiXOC, I'd gladly (more like leapt) go read it, but I dont think I can handle reading a FujiMarui X_X; Nothing against male-male stuffs honestly, just not my type of stuffs lol x_X; But if you have any OCMarui stories, heck, I'll be there first in line to see it ;D**

**LadyLadington- haha thats what I thought xD They have so little screentime, its kinda hard to make out their real nature. I'm even just writing on assumptions and my own imagination of him. But I still kinda felt he was slightly OOC for some reason x_X maybe its just me bein pessimistic. The Oblivious song used in that chapter is their live version rather than recorded =D I think the live is more...danceable than the recorded XD but yea, it will be hard to dance to it but not impossible. Not the club/disco type dance though- the dance I imagined them to be doing was more like a latin/waltz/tango mix haha Hence the lifts and twirls XD But it'll still be hard to dance to it- which was the point of Niou's little bit there, challenging pairs to try and dance to it XD and I cant believe you never liked Shiraishi in the first place D; he's such an adorable little thing when he wants to be XD**


	19. In The Recesses of The Mind

_"Fine Line"_

_"My mind tells me to give up, but my heart wont let me."  
_

_Chapter 19: In The Recesses of the Mind  
_

* * *

My breath quickened, pressing myself further into the wall behind me, shoulder blades hurting from the pressure.

Dark lavender eyes shimmered amusedly at me, their owner's soft footsteps echoing like drums in my ears. My eyes flashed down immediately, unable to handle the intensity of those eyes.

My breathing hitched when a palm was suddenly placed next to my head, and a warm, yet cold finger brushed across my cheek, stopping at my ear and pushing a strand of hair back.

A strong scent of something sweet and bitter permeated my sense of smell, and hot breath fanned across my face. The finger which fiddled with my hair travelled back across my cheek, before a thumb ran across my lips.

I felt that thumb and fingers hold onto my chin, tilting my head up to meet alluring lavender. I gulped.

"Kumiko-chan…"

What an innocent term of name…and yet the voice that spoke it was anything but innocent.

"..…?" My voice was lost when his head suddenly leaned down, next to mine. His soft lips left a tingling sensation against my ear, and a trail of red flame on my cheeks.

"Kumiko…"

My heart pounded and I realized with a sickening twist in my stomach that I loved my name in the tune of his voice. My eyelids fluttered close when his warm palms rested against the left of my cheek, and I faintly felt his soft red hair brush across my forehead.

Opening my eyes to look at him, my hands tucked into my sides fisted nervously. I gulped again.

'Do you…want me?" His voice was but a whisper, low and sultry.

My mind screamed no.

My heart pounded yes.

My body begged for him.

I opened my mouth to speak, but no voice came out. Words were tangled in my throat, unable to form and identify themselves.

Slowly, he leaned down, and the screams of my mind were lost, gone with the world, as I tasted that sinfully delicious flavor of his, one that I always wondered what it would taste like:

Wine and bubblegum.

~***~

'My g-!!"

My body flew straight up into sitting position, and my eyes were wide with shock and fright. Sweat cascaded down my skin as I panted like a beat dog.

Red flared across my skin, and my body temperature rose as seconds ticked by; whilst my mind replayed that sinisterly realistic dream I had. The lust that was present within me in that dream, the desire that scorched my body in there….it was all _so_ real.

I buried my face into my hands and screamed.

"Oh my god…I'm turning into a pervert!!!"

I slopped through the hallway, trudging back home after another long day in class. My hair was dishelved, and bags laid under my eyes from the sleepless night I had.

Aya had assaulted me today, bringing to light the promise of going to a host club with her.

Right now, I hated Marui with a passion.

It was because of him (partly), that I won that race and got that stupid prize. It was because of him that I offered to take Aya to a host club as appreciation. It was because of him that I had that _horrendous_ dream.

It was because of him that I am now trembling to the cores of my bone, taking the elevator up to Club Prism, fearing the thought of facing him after that wicked dream of mine several days back.

Aya poked me from beside me. "Kumiko-chan, what's with you today? You look….nervous?" She snickered. "Scared to see Marui-san again?" She hadn't left me alone about my 'daredevil', according to her, act of sticking my head out of a moving vehicle and screaming for all I'm worth. I didn't tell her about m encounter with Kirihara and Marui after we came back of course.

"No, nothing." I bit out in a tight voice.

Aya shrugged, my moody waves not disheartening her one bit. I _still_ did not understand what made her so excited and happy to come to host clubs.

The girl skipped out of the elevator as soon as the door opened, ripping the winning paper from my hands at the same time. If only she _did_ rip it.

She barged into the club room much too eagerly, and I shielded my face in embarrassment as heads turned to see what interrupted their 'elegant' atmosphere. Dear lords…

"Ah~ Yunami-hime." Yukimura Seiichi greeted us at the door, his gentle visage approaching us.

"Ahah! Yukimura-san!!" Aya cheered, rushing forward and flashed the prize paper in his face. He blinked at it, before laughing into his hand, curled into a fist. "I see Ishimaru-hime came as well then." He chuckled softly, and I reddened under his blue eyes; out of both nervousness and embarrassment.

There was this sense of…insecurity around me for some reason, when I visit them. The idea of host and hostess clubs is still something that sparked controversies in Japan itself, needless to say other countries. That was probably why.

Aya immediately picked Yagyuu as her host for the night, but of course, she snatched up a few more that were available since it was free, after all. Me? I went to the bar counter again, and Jackal shot me a look of bewilderment and bafflement. I could judge by the look on his face that he was wondering why I was at the bar, and not off with several hosts; clearly I wasn't using the prize paper to its maximum utility.

Well, the only other host I was even remotely comfortable around is obviously Marui, and Kirihara and Niou. But…I peeked to the side.

Marui was busy with another girl, charming them with his enchanting smile. The girl was nothing but goo in his hands. I chewed my lips, and asked Jackal for suggestions of a mocktail. I was at least going to get the most out of the free food and drinks…they were _really_ good, but really expensive. And I was going to devour them till I drop tonight.

Jackal placed a glass of a swirly yellow drink in front of me, and before he can even tell me what its name was, I drank it up in one sitting. The man blinked at me in bewilderment, before heading off to make another one.

At the other end of the room, just in my sight, I see Kirihara entertaining another girl, if you can call it that. He just seemed to be grumbling about something but the girl kept this wide-eyed look on her face, pretending to be really interested when I bet she was just interested in ogling him senseless.

I drummed my fingers against my cheek, seeking out the other host I can talk with, although he caused a lot of moments of blood rush. But he was the only other one here I speak to often…Turning to the Brazilian in front of me, I questioned him of his whereabouts.

"Where's Niou-san?" I asked, taking the glass of Cola Piñata he handed me with a soft thanks.

"Ah, Niou. He's not in today." He replied, drying a glass cup with a cloth.

I blinked, not expecting that answer. "R-really? Is he sick?"

The man shook his head. "He's probably having the time of his life right now. One of his regulars took him on a vacation trip to Hawaii."

"…………" Hawaii? Did he say Hawaii? As in, THE HAWAII?!

At my baffled and plain stoned look, he explained to me how sometimes the hosts are showered with gifts by their customers- Rolex watches, Hugo Boss suits etc. Once in awhile, they would invite them to on a vacation trip together, all paid by the customer of course. The hosts have the choice not to go or not; but really, who in their right mind would say no?

I should consider becoming a hostess if I get pampered like this….

Jackal laughed at my expression. "I know, shocking right? When I first got my job here, even I couldn't believe how much luxury these guys have. They already get paid in lumps of cash everyday, and they still get free gifts."

"Why aren't you a host then?"

He grinned –nervously?- and I thought I saw a small tint of pink on his dark skin. "Nah, not really my style. I'm happy with my pay, and Atobe allows me to cook whatever I want, so I'm not complaining. These things are more of Bunta's forte."

Now only did I notice that Jackal referred to Marui by his first name. "Are you guys close?"

Jackal nodded, but a frown flitted on his features when a stubborn spot on the cup won't come off despite his vigorous rubbing. "Yea, I guess we are. We attended school together, and even played doubles together in tennis. We still go out and play once in awhile now, when he has time. Those customers are pretty irregular about their schedule, and sometimes he would get calls even when out of work."

"…They call after work?" As in, they give their numbers to the customers too?!

Jackal's lips quirked up one side. "Yea. Cant deny what the customer wants after all…usually." He paused, seemingly to think whether he should tell me. "Sometimes, the customers' even takes them out on dates, and even ask for…you know, _'that'_ from them." He made quote marks.

I raised an eyebrow. "That?"

"He means sex." A gruff voice spoke up, and my face blared red at the blunt way he spoke.

"Shishido!" Jackal sighed. His attempt at trying to break it to me easy has been thwarted, and I was now burning like a beet.

The new male snorted, jumping onto a stool next to me. "She'll find out anyway, if you're planning to tell her."

My eyes were still wide from plain shock. "R-really? B-b-but s-s-!" I couldn't speak straight. The idea was just too much for me to handle.

Shishido gave me a small smile, but rolled his eyes soon after. "We can decide of course. They can beg, ask sweetly, shyly –whatever- pay us more; but we still have the rights to decide whether we want to." He shook his head then, rubbing a hand into his hair. "We don't though…other than Niou and perhaps one or two that I don't know of."

Jackal set down a glass of water in front of him, and Shishido drank it slowly. I was still trying to absorb what he said. Shoulders relaxing after the cooling drink, Shishido continued. "Like I said the first time you came, it's a sticky business we're in here."

Jackal promptly agreed, still trying to clean that darned cup. Someone must have been using a _really_ strong lipstick. "That's right…some of these women come in here for fun, like your friend."

"Those are the ones that are easier to mingle with. " Shishido gave his input.

"Then there are the ones who are driven by hormones." Jackal continued but was cut off by Shishido again.

"They are one of the difficult ones. But people like Niou likes them…" He muttered.

Jackal ignored Shishido's comment and went on. "Then there are those who just went through a difficult phase in their life, or are going through one." His dark eyes softened as he said this, as if deep in thought.

Shishido was silent too, and I stared at them, wondering what they were thinking about. Shishido suddenly gave his input again, voice soft and just…sad for some reason.

"Those are the ones who are the hardest to deal with…and it makes us feel like shit when we can't do anything."

My gaze shifted downwards, and for a moment, my negative thoughts and feelings towards hosts and host clubs flickered, nearly dispersing like smoke to wind. Perhaps I was being too shallow in how I view these men and their jobs. I kept only noticing their good looks and how they charmed women with them, the luxurious life they led and the wealth showered upon them.

I….hadn't really thought about things from their side.

I blinked slowly and looked up at Shishido again when he spoke once more. "Like I said…" He rubbed his forehead. "A sticky business."

And he jumped off the stool, right when another woman entered, whose smile only brightened when she caught sight of the brown haired host approaching her.

Jackal gave a small chuckle as he watched the woman and Shishido walk off to another side of the room, before disappearing behind a corner to who knows where.

"That one just broke up with her boyfriend of 3 years. Was a crying mess few months back." He continued cleaning, finally getting that lipstick stain off. "These guys have to watch their every movement and action, never stepping over the line, but still pleasing the customers and their different needs….never falsely leading them into love."

His dark eyes raised to look into my impeccant ones, which with every moment I spend with these men and learn more about them, gets less and less innocent and more and more aware and…..

"That's the one thing our club hates. And that's entangling the customers into something that may hurt them, and perhaps even both sides." Jackal renewed my drink, which I was enjoying thoroughly. "We'll not stoop so low like some host clubs just to rake in customers by toying with their feelings. Atobe and Yukimura will not allow it. We're here to entertain, heal and mend, not-"

Someone suddenly jumped on Jackal from the back, and I looked to see it was Marui, giving the bald man a noogie. "Oi, oi, what's this Jackal?! You're more talkative with her than me! With me you only say 'don't do this' or 'don't do that' or 'Bunta, that's rude'!!"

Jackal shook him off his shoulder with a stern frown. "Bunta, you're not supposed to come over to this side of the counter. You might break something!"

Marui rolled his eyes. "See what I mean?!" He pointed an accusing finger at him and he looked at me, his face imploring me to agree with him.

I only blinked stupidly at them. Awkwardly, I reached up and scratched the back of my head. "Umm…yea?"

"Hah! Even she agrees~" He blew a bubblegum with a satisfied smirk, but Jackal only rolled his eyes and ignored the redhead's childish antics. Marui proceeded to leap over the bar rather than exiting through the mini swinging door, and Jackal let out a sound of baffled protest.

Landing safely on his feet, Marui quickly looked around warily, and seeing that he was safe, he straightened up. "Phew~ Sanada and Yukimura are not around…"

I deadpanned. He checked _after_ he jumped?

Suddenly turning to grin at me, he slid into the stool next to mine. "Heh~ you actually came again! I'm impressed."

I frowned, pouting. But there was a constant pink on my cheeks, as that dream I had was still fresh in my mind. And seeing him right here in front of me-those same lavender eyes, that same mop of hair, and the same unique scent-it made it harder for me to dispel the dream from my thoughts.

Feeling the red deepening the longer I stared at him, I turned my head away. "Y-yea…I did say I would…"

"But I didn't think you would!" He laughed.

"Hmph." Looking further away from him with a pout, I sipped at my drink- hm, did Jackal change my drink again? It tasted different….I glanced down at it from the corner of my eye, avoiding Marui's figure. It was a Shirley Temple.

An involuntary yelp ripped from my throat when hands suddenly clamped down on both my shoulders forcefully. Aya's grinning face appeared next to mine, and I can already see telltale hints of red on her face, hinting at her drinking tonight. She was obviously going all out, as there is no limit to her credit today…

Marui laughed at my reaction, and Aya kept grinning like an idiot. "Why are you sitting here?~" She pinched my cheek and cooed. Slapping her hand away, I frowned. "Aya-chan, how much did you drink?"

"Several glasses…" Someone snickered sheepishly from behind, and I turned to see the host known as Gakuto, with Yagyuu next to him. The polite man pushed his glasses up, and apologized to me swiftly. "I did try to stop her…"

The slightly tipsy Aya swung her hand around me, slurping up my Shirley Temple at the same time. "I can still go you know! But that's beside the point~!" She pulled my shoulders to face her, intense eyes burning into mine. "Kumiko-chan, you're WASTING," she screamed in my ear, "the prize paper!"

I glanced around quickly, glad that most of the customers are in other areas of the spacious floor with their respective hosts rather than here at the main room. The ones here were too absorbed with their entertainer to take notice of us.

"Aya-chan, its my prize paper, I can do what I want with-" Gakuto hopped next to Aya, maroon eyes narrowed as well.

"You cant just let it go to waste on drinks after going through the effort to win it!!" He flailed, and I bit back the comment that I didn't actually put effort into winning that prize…I just wanted the satisfaction of winning and not failing for once; it had nothing to do with the prize.

But before I could even say anything for my side, Aya thumped her hands on my shoulders childishly. "That's right, that's riiiight!!" She whipped around, hand hailing down Yagyuu. "Yagyuu!" She must have been really out of it to refer to him without any honorifics. "Who's free right now?!" Instantly, I knew she meant which host was available.

"Aya-chan, really, I'd rather not-" Yagyuu pushed up his glasses again and it started to annoy me. "Marui-kun is free right now I believe. His last customer already left long ago." For some reason, I felt as if Yagyuu mentioned Marui on purpose or something; like there was some sort of conspiracy going on.

I tensed, and Marui raised a curious eyebrow at Yagyuu. "No t-tha-" I stammered but Aya ignored me and pivoted towards Marui.

"That's right Marui-san!!!" The girl gasped out, dark eyes narrowing at the host who shrunk back from her awkwardly.

"Aya-chan, I didn't even designate him or anyone as my host!" I went to his rescue, and also to the rescue of my humility.

"That's where you're wrong, Ishimaru-hime." Yagyuu interrupted me in my mission. "When a customer has yet to nominate a host using our eternal nomination system, it is up to the hosts themselves to nominate themselves."

………No one ever told me that!

"Of course, the one who the princess likes best will be her prince for eternity~Within the context of the club of course…" Gakuto chirped, taking his attention away from the sundae he was downing.

"And outside." Jackal added offhandedly.

Marui drummed his fingers against his cheek, face akin to that of a daydreaming kid in maths class. Suddenly, "Okay~!"

It was as if lightning struck me, or the area behind me. "Ehhh?!!!!" I toppled from my chair from shock, tumbling into Aya in front of me. She whipped Marui on the back, then me. "Yea!! Jackal! More Asahi please!!"

I glared up at her futilely. "Aya-chan! That's enough beer for y-"

"It's sake! Kampaaai!!"

"It doesn't matter!!"

I felt a soft hand patting me warmly on my shoulder, and I turned to see Yagyuu. He smiled at me sympathetically. "Forgive me for not watching her drinking." I sighed. This man was so polite; how can I ever be mad at him? It wasn't his fault in the first place anyway….

"It's alright, Yagyuu-san." I doled out with defeat.

Warm breath tickled my ears, and all the hair on my neck stood up. I squeaked like a hissing cat, jumping away from my spot.

Marui snickered at me, and I found him to be the culprit.

"Let's go, Kumiko-chan~." He stretched a hand out to me.

My eye narrowed suspiciously. "Go where?"

He pouted at my suspicion and doubts. Someone pushed me at the small of my back, and I glanced behind me to see Yagyuu. "Go, Ishimaru-hime. I'll look after Yunami-hime." He reassured me.

….I wasn't even thinking of Aya's well-being!

I sighed. "I don't see why we can't just stay here, Marui-san…"

Jackal leaned over the countertop at this. "Bunta will be your first real host ever. Every time I see you, Ishimaru-san, you're always surrounded by the others, or you're not actually in a host-customer situation. If you stayed here right now with Bunta as your designated host, it won't be much different as when he isn't your designated host."

Marui whistled. "Heeh~ Jackal, you read my genius thoughts!"

Jackal's eyebrows twitched in annoyance. "Its common sense…" the man muttered darkly.

Crossing my arms, I shot Jackal a dubious look. "What about those customers with a lot of hosts?!" I asked, nodding my head at a woman who just emerged from another hallway with Atobe, Yukimura and a tall man with obsidian eyes and similar dark hair, who looks pretty much stern all out, despite his good looks.

"Those are new customers who hasn't decided on a host yet….uwaaah, she's got lots of guts, having Atobe and Sanada in the same room…and even Yukimura…" Gakuto mumbled in disbelief at the group.

"Then why cant I stay here with you all as well? You're hosts! ….except for Aya-chan…"

Yagyuu smiled, noticing my blatant attempts at not being alone with Marui. "We'reall designated, Ishimaru-hime- Me and Gakuto-kun to Yunami-hime. Jackal-kun isn't a host. The rest are all taken up. Marui-kun is the only one available right now."

I turned to Marui with a slightly accusing look. "How come you're the only one free?"

He got offended at my statement and expression. "It's not my fault my customer suddenly can't make it tonight! And don't you doubt my popularity now! I'm a hit with the ladies~" I felt like that was only something Niou would say.

"But are you that _opposed_ by the thought of me, Kumiko-chan?" Marui crossed his arm and raised one fine eyebrow.

Oooh…there was that question. How am I supposed to answer that?

Say that I freeze up with the male species and cant handle being in closed quarters with them? Say that I find him annoying? Say that I had a freaky dream about him the other day and now I can't stand being around him?

What was I supposed to say?

I can't say….I hate him.

Maybe if it was in the early stages of our meeting, I might have.

I couldn't say that right now though, because it would be a lie. In fact, I did like his company.

He was humorous in his own cocky ways, and interesting in his interactions with those around him. Annoying at times he might be due to his ego, but he had the rights to boast, I suppose. And…he _can_ be a sweetheart when he wants to be, surprisingly, as he came off to me as a really selfish person at times (thinks about his ego and food only…).

So then, why was I so opposed to being with him?

I glanced away guiltily, when his thoroughly innocent eyes burned intensely into mine.

It was my own insecurities….and fears.

"O-okay." I gulped. "Y-you're my host tonight, Marui-san."

It can't be _too_ bad.

* * *

**** Just so you guys know, I actually did a lot of research into Host Clubs before I started this if anything seems weird (like the date, vacation etc bit), realize that they ARE real. Not everything is clean cut like Ouran Host Club makes it to be; not in the adult world, especially. **

**Wow, I got a sudden influx of messages and reviews asking what that story is haha XD; Well, sadly, I'm not gonna say- WAAIT DON'T THROW YOUR BRICKS YET!!- now. Cause, if I told you now, and you went and read it, there's a 70% (imo) chance you'll fall in love with it, and then you'll be left to suffer like I did for the past 3 years, since its still unconfirmed whether the author will continue it, for she has…moved onto other fandoms (Yuck, Vampire Knight T_T). What's more, she's only ever written 3 chapters for it, and one of them is a short prologue which hardly has anything D: and the other 2 chappies were just introducing the characters x_X even I don't know why I liked it so much haha, and I was left to ramble for a page long when the author asked me what I liked about it haha Probably the humor and action? But I'm praying she'll continue, and if she does, I'll let you guys know! (After getting my hands at it first of course lol)**

**Hm, but my Hamao and Genki albums will be arriving soon! x3 and I just finished a drawing of Marui and Akaya spontaneously! I ish so proud, cause it ws the produc of being extreeeemely bored in class! Or perhaps it was because Marui is always in my head! :D **

**.com/art/Round-The-Corner-of-Rikkai-133807521**

**lol shuddup. I know its bad =( But pssh. I got a story churning in my head already because of this pic! XD **

**thanks for reviewing!  
**

**Kiki-chan: lol everyone can draw if they give it time and a chance =D**

**Juunin: I cant catch butteflies! T_T I'm always afraid I'll squish them =( I dont think this is going to be a ShiraishiOCMarui...Just MaruiOC, but with lots of love from the other guys =D Final pair will be MaruiOC XD After this though, I'll most likely continue my OotoriOCMarui story haha **

**Unknown reviewer: No nameD: But I'm guessing...elusivemelody? XD Its definitely easier to learn than breakdancing, and more fun in my opionion =D its a matter of learning the steps and combining them with your own style to make a new routine XD **

**asobi seksu: No, not Poakkis (no idea who Poakkis is actually haha) And this isnt the first Marui story ever written lol loads of Marui stories were already written at that time. **

**PhoenixRage92: Kirihara always had a good side! = he just needs time to grow up XD**

**Lad Ladington: You ever saw the chibi episodes of PoT? XD one episode, Akaya was carrying a tray of drinks when he got pummelled over, and his face was OH SO CUTE WITH ONE REDCIRCLE ON HIS FOREHEAD! XD Ikept imagining that face when I typed him up haha and I thought that Shitenhouji was a cool team =0 they became my 2nd fave team,kicking Hyotei out of the spot when they appeared XD **

**SapphireBreeze19: haha its alright! I understand about school =( I'm swamped by it too, and I use the excuse that writing this fic makes me lose stress x_X (though it adds some somewhat, since I cant think of anything D:)  
**


	20. Through Lavender Brown

"_Fine Line"_

_"Be slow to fall into friendship; but when you're in, continue firm and constant." -Socrates  
_

_Chapter 20: Through Lavender Brown  
_

~***~

A simple touch, a dashing smile and a trademark gesture; they were then nothing but putty in my hands.

It was amusing, and fun, to see how they react to my genius-self. Well, I'm not that surprised. I _am_ that amazing~

I can almost imagine stars fluttering around the head of the female in front of me, her large green eyes (contacts, I noted) glittering at every single word and sound that came from me. It was amusing- and boring.

I love the attention, I won't deny that. After all, what's the point in being a genius if I can't flaunt off my awesome skills? But then, after years of doing this, and seeing the same reaction incited from them, I can't help but feel…that it's dull.

It's not as fun as the first time anymore. It's like a marginal utility of some sort; it decreases with each consumption, or in this case, each customer.

"I'll see you tomorrow night then, Marui-kun~!" She cooed giddily, and out of reflex and business instinct, I smirked at her and kissed the back of her hand, sending her off with moonstruck steps.

Stretching, I checked the time on the giant glass clock hung on one of the club halls. There was still at least 2 hours before closing time, and my next customer had to cancel unexpectedly, for she was called back on for work.

I pouted slightly at that, knowing I won't be getting my champagne chocolates from her tonight then. It's common and usual for her to bring champagne chocolates for me every time she visits.

And hell did I enjoy them.

They were pretty expensive things, but oh so heavenly sweet and totally worth it.

I looked around, seeing that most of the other guys were all busy with gals of their own- then my sharp eyes spotted my good friend Jackal (who is just fun to bully) and…ah~? Kumiko-chan?

I felt a grin pull at my lips, and my own laughter ringed in my head. I really did not expect or believed that she'll come again.

Sure, I asked her to come- she was a pretty nice girl to hang around somewhat, if you ignore her slight pessimism and quiet nature- but I really did not expect her to come. Then again, I did not expect to see her at the Prisma Festival either. I figured her attendance there was due to Yunami Aya, and right now, it was probably because of her again, as I noted her with Yagyuu and Gakuto.

Having nothing better to do right now, as Niou was not here to talk with and Akaya is busy with a customer, I approached them. As I got closer, I realized Jackal was talking to her about our host…activities.

I didn't really give much thought to it; if they wanted me to go out with them and I felt like it, sure. They wanted to take me to Hawaii (damn it Niou!!), and man did I want that, sure. If they asked me to bed them and I didn't feel like it, I'd just say no. I don't understand why some of us here (Jackal perhaps…or maybe even Ootori) fretted over it so much. Just go with the flow and do what fits you best.

Briefly, I recalled the widow who invited me to her house once; she fed me one of most amazing chiffon cakes ever~. She stopped visiting our club though, when I rejected her offer to stay the night…I could tell what she wanted from me; and I didn't want to give it to her. Niou might have done it, but that was his decision and problem.

Of course, none of here thought bad of each other no matter what we did. To each his own, and each of us have our own specialty and traits. And Niou _is_ promoted as the "Night Lover" type. I can still remember how I laughed till my stomach hurt when I saw the ad for our club online, and Niou was featured in it too. I had then clicked to our website link and went to the page for "Host Types". My mood dampened slightly when I remembered what that darned Atobe labeled me as- Cheeky Genius.

Cheeky Genius?! What the hell is up with that?! Shouldn't it be something like "Pure Genius" or "Dashing Genius"?

Maa….I guess I shouldn't complain. The title they gave me did bring me in a lot of customers who wanted to see what this…Cheeky Genius is like. The name was _very_ thought provoking after all.

I leaped onto Jackal's back, after sneaking through the swinging counter doors. The man bowed over instantly- psh, I don't think I was _that_ heavy.

"Oi, oi, what's this Jackal?! You're more talkative with her than me! With me you only say 'don't do this' or 'don't do that' or 'Bunta, that's rude'!!" I pouted, giving the bald man a noogie.

He shook me off. "Bunta, you're not supposed to come over to this side of the counter. You might break something!"

I rolled my eyes. That was so expected of Jackal to say.

But then, I didn't really catch onto what happened later. Yunami-hime came over, and so did Yagyuu and Gakuto. Suddenly, I was brought into this whole exaggerated ordeal by Yunami-hime, and due to Yagyuu's not so inconspicuous prodding, being made the selected host for Kumiko-chan.

I drummed my fingers against my cheek in thought. I didn't really see the harm in it, and I had nothing better to do. Only downside is that she's here for free right now and so I wouldn't get any pay out of this. And so, it was only natural I agreed; but she kept trying to find excuses to get out of this obvious set-up by Yagyuu and the tipsy Yunami-hime! I'm not _that_ revolting, am I?! In fact, I don't think I'm revolting at all, if I must say so myself~ I'm clearly aware of my good looks, which is one of the reasons why I even got my job here anyways; and I definitely know the effects they have on girls and women, old and young alike. Not to mention that I'm just made of pure genius, so I could see no reason why she would even try to get out of spending time with me (for free to boot)~ Most girls would have jumped at the chance!

I can see the hesitation and insecurity rippling in her eyes as she glanced away from me, unwilling to meet my gaze. I frowned mentally, wondering why is it that she's so...closed off. It was kind of annoying really. Ootori is much like her, shy and queit, but he isn't that much of a hermit.

"O-okay." She gulped. "Y-you're my host tonight, Marui-san."

I could not help the grin on my face. Heh~ I knew no one could resist my charms!

But then- I glanced around curiously and blankly- just what am I supposed to do with her?

If I tried any of my usual on her, she would most likely suffer a concussion or aneurysm and then Yukimura and Sanada would get on my back about it, and then I'd get the end of the stick from Jackal, and then Ootori would wail to me everyday, and then-

My hands ruffled my hair in concealed frustration.

She was ushered off by Yunami-hime, and I followed her like a loyal pup, as is expected of me at the moment, being her assigned host and all. Now that I think about it, it is awfully weird that despite the lengthy period of time she had known us, she hasn't actually 'officially' spent time with us as an assigned host; she just hung around us, but was never actually an 'official' clientele.

Sliding my hands into my pockets, I peeked at her. "Anything in particular you would like to do?" I asked.

She shook her head, shrugging. "Not really…" She mumbled. I rolled my eyes in an Oh-My-God way, but a light smile played on my lips. I was a host- negative emotions were to be bottled during work hours.

I sidestepped closer to her, and slid an arm around her shoulder, breathing into her ears. "How bout we have some 'fun' then?" I could see her face redden at lightspeed, peaking all the way to her ears, brown eyes widening drastically in bewilderment and shock.

"W-what?!" She spluttered.

I laughed, hand leaving her shoulder to ruffle her hair. "I was joking." My snickers continued and she glared at me, but I could hardly feel threatened by it. Being glared at by her was like being glared at by a hamster.

"Come on, lets head to the stores." I took her hand, leading her down one of the club hallways. Our host club was quite large, which is unusual, since most host clubs took up fairly little space. But then again, with Atobe running this joint, he wants everything at its most extravagant; even buying off the whole top floor of the complex- which is now our host club.

"Where are we going?" I glanced behind to see her looking at the walls and rooms we passed curiously. Occasionally, we would see a host or two with their customers in some of the rooms, all which were fitted with different entertainment themes. Some of them contained slots and pools, some were arcade machines, some were equipped with the best in audio video technology and the latest movies etc etc the list goes on. I always wonder why Atobe took up this business with all that money he has. He could have done something else completely. Eh, whatever rocks his boat.

I licked my lips, thinking in sinful euphoria of the place I was now heading to. "The food stores~"

Well, where else was I supposed to take her?! She'll land straight in the hospital if I exercised my charms on her~!

~***~

………………

Food stores? ….FOOD stores?!

I deadpanned at his back. Of all the things, food stores?!

I sighed internally. I guess I shouldn't complain. He did ask what I wanted to do, and I didn't give any input- I suppose he had the rights to choose…though I wonder if this is what he does with his customers daily, or at least the new ones.

We were moving quite far away from the main room where we came from, where Aya was most likely getting drunker by the second. In the end, we stopped in front of another pristine white door, which he pushed open, and graciously allowed me to step in first.

I trudged in with a blue mood. Rows and upon rows of food packed and boxed in boxes lay on shelves. Marui led us to the end of the store, arriving at…a wine rack.

He ran his fingers over them, skimming over the labels of each before pulling one bottle out of its holding place, and winking at me. "Atobe wont miss a bottle or two~" I read the label. "Vintage…Port?" I have no knowledge whatsoever on wines, their brands, and their differences. To sum it, I was clueless about them. I could only trust others (Marui at the moment), to not feed me poisonous wine.

With hardly any effort, he popped open the cork and sniffed the wine. Raising his head with an appreciative look on his face, he handed me the bottle. I took it from him gingerly, looking up at him dubiously. He nodded encouragingly, grinning. Gulping, I took a sip straight from the bottle.

I felt like a kid stealing from the school canteen late at night.

Pulling the bottle away, I blanched momentarily, not from the taste, but just from drinking too much at a go. During that time, Marui had taken another bottle and was drinking it like a gourmet on crack.

"Ahh~" His body language was that of a satisfied Cheshire cat.

I shook my head in disapproval, taking another sip. "This is terrible of you…"

The man pouted. "You're one to talk! You're drinking too!"

I countered quickly, face flushing. "W-well….I'm a customer! Besides, you took us here!"

He waved his hand airily. "That's beside the point." Pausing, he took another gulp. "How's yours?" He nodded at my bottle.

I gave it a passing glance and shrugged. "It's…sweet." Sweet wine- that seems to be the only type of wine I'm consuming…

"Of course it is. I didn't think you'd be the kind to drink the dry and bitter ones." Funny how that was the same thing Kajimoto said to me. My thoughts suddenly wandered back to the rejected painting of mine. My mood dampened like a rock plummeting from the sky.

Marui seemed to notice my sudden change in emotions, and the down trodden face pulled across my face. "What's wrong?" He asked curiously, blinking at me in nonchalant worry.

"Nothing…just…" I told him the same things I told Kirihata- about the bad grades for the painting, and how I wanted to show it to Shiraishi and Kajimoto, but did not have the galls nor heart to present them with a rejected piece of work. People might think I'm taking things way too seriously and to heart, but they had to realize how much I just love art, and that every little bit and effort I pour into each piece, no matter how fast or slow is love and care. It's similar to a composer and his music.

I had taken to slumping down by the wine rack, leaning against the wall and Marui sat beside me, already on his second bottle of wine. He hasn't said anything regarding my current problem.

Instead, he had just lifted the bottle that was in my hand and titled it towards me, bright eyes staring off ahead in a way that showed disattachment to things in the world; or at least, that's the vibe I got.

I squeezed my eyes shut and drank, hand lifting up to take the bottle from his and continue feeding the wine to myself, like how a baby sucks from its milk bottle.

"Drinking helps the woes." He said, taking a gulp from his own bottle.

I felt the wine churning in my stomach, and I felt satisfied yet sick. All that liquid was sloshing around within me right now, and it felt like a thunderstorm in my system. The last drop of sweet liquid slid down my throat, and the bottle is pulled away from me. "I didn't think it'd actually work…" I mumbled.

I did feel more…relaxed. Mentally, that is. My stomach was still sick with the sloshing.

He leaned back against the wall, and I could hear the soft thump of his back meeting with it. He laughed a carefree laughter that echoed in this empty store, save for us. "Well, it does. Just…know how to control it. Its not exactly pleasant to have it all coming back up later."

My empty bottle slid from my grasp and rolled away, running into the leg of one of the shelves. Marui passed me his half empty bottle.

"I don't think…it should matter what grade you got, honestly. I mean, it's just a number." He said suddenly after I took the bottle from him.

My tongue jutted from between my lips after getting the first taste of this new liquid, and Marui laughed at my face. "Yea, it's a little dry and bitter."

"Little? More like very!" I gouged out, trying to scrape the taste of my tongue against my teeth.

He rolled his eyes. "You're such a girl. A _little_ girl."

"And you're such a kid."

"Hey, the customers love me~"

"Don't feed your own ego…"

We stared at each other blankly and silently- before we burst out into a fit of laughter.

"I-I think the alcohol is getting to us!" I giggled into the palm of my hands.

"More like you~! I drink at least 2 more bottles!" He chortled, lightly slapping my shoulder.

I brushed the area where he hit me with a pout. "That's your drunken side talking!"

"No it isn't!"

"Yes it is!"

"No it isn't!!"

"Yes it is!!"

He glared at me and snatched the bottle away. "I don't feel like sharing with you anymore."

"Didn't think you were selfless enough to share it anyways…" My eyes rolled heavenwards. "I swear the alcohol is getting to us…" I muttered.

"It's just you." He said, still not wanting to give up his side of the argument.

I gave up though. I didn't have the will to continue such a pointless argument. Then again, I hardly have the will to continue anything.

Silence enveloped us once again. A feeling of déjà vu washed over me, and I realized why later. This silence was the same as the time when I danced with Shiraishi during the last night of the Prisma Festival, which seemed oh so long ago now, even though it has only been a few days.

It was a really nice sort of silence.

"So…you think I should show it to them?" I asked quietly, wrapping my arms around my knees.

He gave a short shrug. "It's up to you. But like they say, art is in the eye of the beholder. I don't think a bad grade from your teacher means anything."

"I see…" Of course I knew it was just a grade. But then, I always had believed that my various professors from class were above me, even if I do curse them once in awhile behind their backs. "I'll show it to them then."

"Good." He nodded at me, grinning before absent mindedly pulling another bottle off the wine rack next to him. He handed me the half-empty bottle from before and then popped the newly acquired bottle open.

I shook my head, but I could not help but smile. "Atobe-san is going to kill us…"

"He has too much here that goes un-drank anyways~!" The redhead chugged down the liquid shamelessly.

I could not understand how he could hold down so many bottles, when I was nearly down in half a bottle, and almost gone by the time I drank a little of the half-empty one.

My head dropped down onto the top of my knees, and one hand went up to rub it. "Urgh…"

Laughter from beside me made my ears ring. "You're going to get a hangover tomorrow, definitely."

"It'll…be your fault…" I groaned, starting to feel dizzy.

"Hey! Don't throw up here!" He warned, seeing my form starting to wave from side to side lightly.

"I won't…"

I felt him get up, and then his footsteps, going about doing god knows what. Suddenly, something cold was placed against my arm. Extracting myself from my arms, I saw a ice bag held up in front of me.

"Thanks…" I placed the bag against my head to help ease the dizziness.

"Welcome~" One eyebrow of mine went up when I saw him licking an ice-cream bar. Doesn't he ever get full?

By the time he finished his ice-cream, the ice had begun to condense on the outside of the bag, and started slipping down my arms as icy water.

"What time is it?" I asked suddenly, having lost track of the time we spent in here doing pointless things.

He pulled out his phone and looked at the glowing screen. "Almost 12:00."

"Oh…" Wow…that's late. I think I might skip class tomorrow…which will be a first. I never skipped.

….It's all his fault if I skip.

I glared at him and he noticed and looked at me bewildered. "What?!"

"Hmph." I looked away from him pouting childishly.

"Whatever." He rolled his eyes and leaned back against the wall, hiding his eyes away from the world, resting them.

I took this chance to study him curiously. Only now did I notice how soft his skin was. They were nearly flawless- a milky tone. It made me feel self-conscious about my own skin. Red strands of hair fell softly into place perfectly across the bridge of his nose, his smooth forehead, and framed his face. I didn't have the courage to even trail my eyes to his lips, fearing what I will see may put me into depression (not to mention that frightening _nightmare_ I had…). I jolted, startled, when piercing lavender eyes were revealed.

Blushing heavily, I hastily looked away, embarrassed at having been caught. I could not see it, but I can _hear_ the smirk in his voice. "Like what you saw?"

I rolled my eyes, frustration bubbling within me at his ego. "Don't fool yourself, Marui-san."

He laughed heartily, before sitting upright and bending forward to get a better look at me. "Call me Marui-kun!"

Pink flared on my skin, matching the pink of strawberry ice-cream. "W-what? W-why?!"

"Cause –san just sounds so…formal! I don't like it." A small frown scrawled across his face.

"………"

"Come on!!" He urged.

"……….."

"It's not going to kill you." Oh, he has no idea.

"……….fine…Marui-…." The last particle got stuck in my throat.

He looked at me expectantly.

"…-kun." I grounded out at last and he grinned. His grin was addictive, as I found myself grinning as well, despite myself.

Later on that night in the safety of my own bed, I would reflect as to how I even managed to survive that few hours with him in that room. If I knew myself as well as I think, I knew that I would have screamed and cried for dear life as soon as we approached the doors to the store. And yet, I didn't. I may have entered hesitantly, but I stepped in on my own easily enough without the prodding of others; I had also consumed more wine than I ever had before, as wine was something unfamiliar to me. But it just seemed so…easy to do it at the time with him.

"Marui-kun…" He had looked back at me as we neared the door to exit the store. "Hm?"

"Thank you." My voice echoed in the darkness of my room, recalling the last words I had said to him that night.

There were more I had wanted to say, like telling him how it was for cheering me up and sticking with me and my dreadful (depressing too) attitude. But I don't think I needed to say it.

Because he had just gave me that contagious grin of his again, eyes blinking shut into perfect arches.

"You're welcome."

* * *

**Lol Marui finds Kumiko annoying, and Kumiko finds Marui annoying. Bwahaha. What the hell am I doing with my story, I would love to know~ -bricked- But the dream Kumiko had extracted a large response from you guys lol well, you know how when you adore someone, you have dreams about them? xD yea…that haha I know I do lol but not perverted like that D; I made Kumiko's like that as a small fanservice x_X**

**But my Genki and Hamao albums arrived last week x3 omg lol I went to heaven for a week haha**

**Sorry for the lateness of this though. Was busy with commissions and school =( so I quickly whipped this up upon realizing I haven't updated, hence its randomness, stupidity and plain pointlessness lol**

**And I'm nearing the 100 reviews mark! Help me get there by this chapter people!! I mean, chapter 20 and 100 reviews! A perfect division number ;D**

**But wtf D: I was updating this and typed some shit ass long msges to you all when FF suddenly went down and I lost all of it =(**

**Juunin- haha its natural lol she's at that age ;D naw, Niou isnt sick haha he's just doing what he does best ;D And...well, dont take my fics seriously and think this is really how hosts feel lol o-o its just my own way of interpreting their line of work, and writing this story as one of its theme lol  
**

**PhoenixRage92- why dont you keep reading and reviewing and supporting, and let me figure out how to bring these two together? ;D I'll find a way...somehow! XD and nawww, dont say that about her lol She did freak out after that dream XD and honestly, things like that do happen in host clubs lol but rather than like gigolos and stuffs, its all by choice and isnt their main selling point....other than Niou? -bricked- XD  
**

**elusivemelody- haha she is innocent xD but she's at the stage of growth! lol besides, even the most innocent and purest of people have their own wants lol XD  
**

**LadyLadington- haha how did Koharu and Yuuji freak you out in the OVA? xD I adore the OVAs haha There's like 24 days or so till the next episode of Another Story comes out, and features Kirihara in his 1st year xD he is soooo cute haha and Marui in second year has slightly shorter hair x3 I nearly fainted when I saw him xD I'm preparing bloodpackets and drips for the day, as I most likely will lose a lot of blood watching it lolz XD And I'm sorry, I didnt realize it was a cliffhanger Dx I never intend to leave cliffhangers =( I usually prefer to wrap things up x_X; so if there are anymore cliffies, know it was not my intention D;  
**

**asobi seksu- lol I know what you meant haha I was saying that the story I mentioned wasnt the first Marui story written lol XD  
**

**Ice-creamy-life-thank you xD  
**

**Ami- I didnt have to make him more adorable. He already is ;D**

**Donut- haha glad you enjoy my writing xD  
**

**Hokkyokusei- lol I know haha x_X which is why I was trying to find a beta reader, but haven't found one yet =( the ones I messaged didn't responed T_T**


	21. Interchanging Thoughts

"_Fine Line"_

"_What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: Our life is the creation of our mind."_ _-Buddha_

_Chapter 21: __Interchanging Thoughts _

_~***~_

I decided to pay Club Sacred a visit.

Following the days after having Marui as my host (which wasn't really so bad nor interesting…I always thought they'd do something that catches our attention, but Marui did none of that…I wonder why…), I had rolled around my house, not literally of course, trying to make up my mind on whether I should go to Club Sacred.

After finally balling up enough courage, I decided to. The fees wasn't a problem since I still had that prize paper from the Prisma Festival, but then there was the problem of whether I should bring anyone along.

I didn't want another drunk Aya, and a drunk Asuka is even worst, so I cancelled them out.

Then there was Rinko, who was probably a bit too open for my liking right now, so perhaps not…

That left Yura.

But Yura didn't exactly like….host clubs.

I had the guts to go to the Club again, but not to walk up to her and say-"Hi Yura! I was wondering if you would accompany me to Club Sacred just so I can show these two hosts there the painting I did of them?!" ……..

So I opted to go alone. But…agh. Transportation. I didn't think the decision to go would be _this_ hard!

In the end, I was forced to ask for transport from one of my friends, since it's cheaper than a taxi in any case…not to mention taxis are already pretty much scarce in Japan as everyone opts to take the Shinkansen instead. But what do you know, the irony of this; the only one who could drive me was dear Yura…

My fingers twiddled with each other as I sat awkwardly in Yura's small and comfy car. It wasn't sleek or speedy like Asuka's, but its good enough.

She wasn't looking at me, nor speaking. And I in turn sat silently.

The car rolled to a stop. "We're here."

I unbuckled my seatbelt hastily, wanting to get out of this strange atmosphere quick. "T-thanks, Yura-chan."

"…You're welcomed."

I got out of the car, and walked around it to the other side where the complex entrance was. Yura rolled down her windows and poked her head out. "Do you need a ride back home?"

"Eh?" Oooh….I haven't thought about that. "Um…I don't want to trouble you…I probably can find a taxi here." Even though I don't feel all too safe in a taxi late at night.

"….Alright. Just give me a call if you need me to pick you up. I'll be up working on my history essay in any case."

I smiled at her. "Alright. Thanks a lot, Yura-chan! I owe you one!" Waving her goodbye, I walked into the complex and quickly located the elevators that will take me up to the club room floor.

~***~

I watched Kumiko walk into the complex, before driving my car off the side and back onto the mainstream road. A red light forced me to stop.

Uncapping my water bottle, I took a gulp, letting the liquid run over my throat. God, what was I thinking agreeing to bring her here? Wasn't I the one who warned her against host clubs? And yet, despite that, she's still visiting them.

I suppose she does have the prize paper to aid any financial matters, so it was fine. But, the issue of money was the last thing on my mind when I tried to nip the bud early on after her first visit to the clubs. Sure, I didn't want her to go into debt because she went to these places often, but the main reason I disapproved and warn her of these host clubs was…

The light had turned green, and honking behind me brought me out of my thoughts as I quickly stepped on the pedal and drove back to my home….scratch that. I turned down another street and headed elsewhere instead.

I hope Club Prism is still open. There is something I want to check.

~***~

I grinned, abashed, as Kajimoto and Shiraishi fawned the painting.

They said they were impressed; but I still can't kick of that stupid feeling in me that it was a bad painting. Perhaps I am too much of a perfectionist…Ironic that I am befriending these two then, since from what I gathered, Shiraishi is pretty much perfect himself and Kajimoto is quite obsessed with perfection, due to his teacher back from his school days pounding those thoughts and ideas into him (1). Though I see no reason why he should be- the man is perfect!

I coughed, forcibly shaking myself away from my wandering thoughts about the two. I was starting to scare myself; I sounded like those girls who squeal over celebrities and idols.

"I can't believe he would give you a bad grade for this!" Kajimoto shook his head in disbelief.

"No such thing as perfection?" Shiraishi raised a dubious and almost offended eyebrow, reiterating what I told him about my teacher's verdict on why not a single student gets an A+.

"That's the way he works…I suppose he has his reasons for giving me that grade though…"

Light ash eyes rolled heavenwards. "It had better be a good reason."

Kajimoto chuckled, and motioned me over to the bar. "Come, Ishimaru-san. We'll treat you to a drink for your trouble." Unexpectedly enough, they allowed me into the host club for free, not even wanting to take my prize paper as payment. They said that I came all the way especially just to show them a painting which they never imagined I would pull through with, and it would be terrible of them to ask me to pay in that case.

I'm starting to feel like a host club free loader.

Shiraishi rubbed his chin as he continued to stare down at the painting he held up. "Hey…it really does look like me."

"It is you, Shiraishi-san." I rolled my eyes at him. He smirked at me in turn. "Heh, you're good."

"Thank you." Things with Shiraishi is still the same as before, and if I have to say so myself, I feel more comfortable with him more and more with every single meeting I have with him. There was something about this man that just makes it easy for me to get along with; and I don't know what it was.

I could name so many other hosts that I have met, who were all kind, gracious and friendly, but not one of them did I feel so at ease with. Kajimoto cuts quite close, but I spent more time with Shiraishi than him due to the Prisma Festival, and Niou was too forward for me to actually stop being jumpy.

Yukimura was soft and gentle, but he radiated off this….I don't know…some sort of scary aura at times. Me and Kirihara are still on weird terms. We found a common connection, but we still hardly know each other. Marui on the other hand…

Marui- he is a hard one to define, for me at least. He…makes me jumpy, cause he' so forward. But he also calms me down, makes me feel wanted and gives me this sense of belonging. At times, it is tranquilizing to be with him; it's like being with Shiraishi. At other times, I get so emotionally unbalanced and my mind would just rattle with mixed thoughts about him- hate, discomfort, frustration, friendship...

He's so bi-polar…

I scoffed and Kajimoto quirked a questioning brow at me. I laughed nervously, waving frantic hands in front. "N-nothing…"

Or rather, he makes _me_ bi-polar.

~***~

"Thank you, Atobe-san."

"Any time, milady." The man smiled, giving a quick and arrogant sweep of his hair before kissing my hand and returning to his waiting customers.

I returned to my car, and flipped through the pamphlet in my hand. I loved and disliked what I was reading.

I sighed before throwing the pamphlet onto the passenger seat beside me, black ink print glistening under the streetlight.

_Club Prism Terms and Service_

~***~

"W-what is it, Marui-kun?" I faced back towards my customer, eyes peeling away from the door where that girl just left. If my eyes are still as sharp as they were (which I know they are), I believe that was Yura who just came by. Whatever did she come here for, and alone for that matter?

"Nothing~" I smiled casually, blowing another bubble before allowing it to pop. Ruriko blushed and quickly averted her eyes.

She came here often, and had nominated me as her host upon her first visit. She said that she saw our website when her friend was browsing it at her university one day, and saw a picture of me, which made her come here to check it out. Of course, she told this all to me in hardly a straight sentence and face glaring red like a ripe tomato. It flattered me that she thinks so highly of me, this girl. Although Jackal says that it was only boosting my ego…psh, what ego?

The two of us sat at one of the large comfy couches for two, conversing. I knew from experience that I could not be too…forward with her, or she would faint.

Briefly, I could not help but make out comparisons between her and the girl that I met not too long ago, Kumiko.

I laughed mentally. Even their names were almost similar- Kumiko and Ruriko.

They were so much alike, quiet and shy by nature, and frightens easily. But there were also noticeable differences. One would be that, perhaps Ruriko here has more guts than Kumiko. I mean, she's already calling me by –kun by our third meet, and Kumiko only got there after…after…I don't remember how long, honestly. And Ruriko here is more comfortable coming to hosts clubs I suppose, since Kumiko is quite opposed to coming, even with friends, and was even opposed at the idea of having _me_ be her host, for free! I mean, come on! Girls would kill for that chance!

And Ruriko adored alcohol. She drinks loads of them, and our club profits a lot from her drinking. Unfortunately, she didn't attend the Prisma Festival, so she missed out on a lot of free wine. She had to go away on some camp.

And Kumiko was an art major, but Ruriko here was into sports science.

Hm…now that I think about it, I guess perhaps they aren't so similar after all….or they are…agh, I can't decide; and it didn't really matter anyways.

What I want to know though, is why did that Yura come in here, ask to see Atobe, get a piece of paper from him, shoot me a strange look and then leave anyway?

I know her to be a nice person, so I was pretty astonished and baffled at her attitude towards me moments ago.

Swirling my glass of wine almost furiously, I cleared the whole thing in one gulp; Ruriko instantly ordered another one for me.

The burning liquid ran down my throat, settling within me, a trail of calming fire in its wake. I rolled my gum out from under my tongue and continued chewing.

"What is it, Marui-kun?" Ruriko asked me, worry etching her face. I did not see why she has to be worried.

"Nothing, nothing."

~***~

"By the way Ishimaru-san, a few of us are heading out to Shibuya this coming weekend. You want to join us?" Shiraishi asked.

I blinked rapidly. W-what?

He quickly waved his hands franticly at my face. "Just as friends of course." Then a smile graced his features. "We always meet as host and guest and customer; we should meet up this weekend, as friends. It'll be a good change, wouldn't it?" He laughed light heartedly and I could not help by smile, agreeing.

"Yea, it would be. Umm…Where should I meet up with you?" I dismissed the thought that there will be others there, figuring that if Shiraishi was going to be there, it'll be alright.

"We can meet at the station at noon. A few from Club Prism will be going too."

I turned to look at Kajimoto then. "Will you be going, Kajimoto-san?"

He shook his head in disappointment. "I cant, unfortunately. It might be an off-day, but one of my regulars wanted me to follow her to a fair."

Shiraishi sighed dramatically. "And you couldn't say no?"

"Would you say no to a woman who just got divorced?" Kajimoto remarked sarcastically.

"…." Oh wow. Divorced and coming to these places? I guess they needed some sort of release…and these guys just know how to make you feel loved and lift your spirits.

~***~

Ruriko laughed at that lame joke I told her. It was easy, to lift her spirits, and that of others. It's probably that way since people come to us to be cheered up anyways, or entertained.

I cannot help but frown however, when I compared this easiness with the difficulty of just breaking a smile onto Kumiko's face. She was so hard to break apart, like a turtle shell.

I recalled the time I told her (and consequently make her spill her drink) that I had figured her out.

But I don't think I did, now that I got to know her better…or rather, a little more.

And that irks me, to find that my genius mind is wrong.

I lost count of how many times how much effort I had to putout just to make her feel comfortable, and then get a smile or a giggle out of her. It was worth it though, I suppose. It's like having finally figured out a really difficult maths problem- there was this _whoosh_ feeling at the end, that makes you feel at peace and relaxed at having conquered another challenge. The only problem is that maths problem don't undo themselves; Kumiko does. She just clanks up her walls again after awhile and then I'll have to start all over from square one.

Needless to say, she would be a bad customer to have- not profitable.

~***~

"So that's where all your profits go?" I was dumfounded. These guys earn so much, and most of their earnings go into…clothes and accessories.

"Well, it's a pretty competitive world here, and we have to keep having new things to keep the attention of our customers you know." Kenya defended quickly. The man, who declares himself as a Speedstar (for reasons unknown to me) had taken the opportunity to join us at the counter after his last customer left.

"If we wore the same clothes and technologies from the stone age, I don't think we'll be very efficient as hosts." Kajimoto laughed and I scrunched up my face. I wish I had _that_ much money to spend…

"So you guys are heading to Shibuya this weekend just to get new clothes and stuffs?" I asked Shiraishi, and he nodded.

"Naturally. Why else would I head there? I'd rather be at that new pharmacy that just opened up…" He muttered to himself. Kenya sighed. "Shiraishi, you have a whole closet of health goods already, you don't need more. And you're not even sick!!"

"You must understand the importance of quality health products, Kenya. Ah~Ecstasy!"

"………….." Sometimes I wonder what it is that makes me so comfortable with this strange man.

~***~

Kumiko was strange, needless to say.

Which makes me wonder why sometimes, as to why I actually like her company. Perhaps its because it was a change. I'm usually acquainted with girls who were pretty much open about themselves, and the occasional ones like Ruriko. But I never came across one who was as closed-up like Kumiko is.

Sure it was annoying, but then, the moment that she actually smiles and shows genuine feelings towards you, it makes you feel important and that you have accomplished something great, done a good deed in the world, made someone happy- at least, that's what I think.

Because whenever I see her, and look at her, I get this feeling that she's just….a hypocrite.

A fake.

There's so many times that I see smiles from her that doesn't seem real, and rather than make you feel good, it kinda nibs you in the gut to see it, especially when it was directed at you.

And at times, I could see real feelings from her; her true genuine feelings.

But…they were hardly happy. She always has this dark and misty look in her eyes- it was so lonely.

And the many times she stares off into space? It's so obvious she's lonely. Why else would she stare off into space like that, and talk to herself?

I never told Jackal any of this before. I know that man well enough to know that he will say, "Bunta, you are not a psychiatrist." Psh, what does he know? I'm a genius!

I remember the few occasional times where true wonder and elation actually enveloped her; and they were usually in the presence of great beauties, like the night of the Hime-sama Douchu, and the butterfly garden.

Often I wondered, why is that she is such a hermit? Especially with friends like Aya and Asuka. Those two were as wild as mad dogs, and Rinko was slyer than a fox.

"See you tomorrow, Bunta." Jackal gave me a short wave before turning down his street, and I continued on mine. I could have driven home, but then my car was in the repair shop (damn Bakaya wrecked it).

My house wasn't too far off from the club, and it wasn't too far off from where Kumiko lived either. I guess you can say it is inbetween.

I flipped the light switch upon entering my home, throwing off my coat and tie instantly. I never did like wearing those too much. Pretty annoying, and I had to live with it for my years in middle school _and_ high school! To think I would have to wear them for my job now as well! This is sacrilegious! It was too much!

Throwing myself upon the couch, I swiftly whisked the controller up from the floor and started to channel surf. But there wasn't anything good on right now, other than those amusing yet random commercials we get here often. Feeling slight hunger, I got up and headed for the kitchen.

I was disappointed however, to find my fridge near empty. Akaya had stayed at my place the other day and chowed down most of my food…

I groaned and slammed the fridge shut. I'll have to go grocery shopping tomorrow. Looking around for something else to eat, my eyes fell onto a bag of sweets in a corner on the counter top, next to another bag.

One was the one Akaya got me the other day- the sweets I requested. The other was…I looked through it to find out.

Huh, it was the sweets Kumiko bought for me. There was still some left which I haven't ate yet. Most of the packings are still in here too, even if they are empty of its contents.

I kept them because I had meant to return the money to her, if I ever saw her again. Funnily and scarily enough, I did. But then the thought must have escaped me when I reencountered her, because she was so different from when I first met her.

I thought she must have been a really fun person to hang out with when I met her. I mean, "Gift from an angel?" Hah, how great is that? I thought it was weird of her to say that, but it was also amusing. I figured I'd love hanging out with her- with the added bonus that she bought a complete stranger his items of desire.

But she turned out so different from how I perceived her to be.

I picked up the packages one by one, calculating the amount I owed her.

….damn I bought a lot. I owed her a whole set meal price, and not the meal prices of a shabby street stall either. I should probably cut down on my sweets expenses like my mum said I should…but it so hard!

I placed the packings back into the bag and sighed, popping a lollipop extracted from Akaya's bag into my mouth. I should probably pay her back next when I see her.

Or get something worth the amount I owe to her.

I stretched and trudged up the stairs towards my bedroom, intent on a shower to clear my mind that was being jumbled up and confused the more I tried to figure out that girl.

She is _so_ bi-polar.

* * *

**1. Lol Hanamura XD**

**And yes, Akaya is Bakaya =D**

**And man, I'm updating so slow =(**

**And…I didn't get to 100 reviews mark on the last chapter T_T ah well….**

**Reviews are loved and appreciated~**

**Lady Ladington- no worries, I love talking about PoT stuffs anyway xD I have no one to talk to about it as most of my friends aren't too into the fandom. And yea I'm starting to think that I'm going nowhere with Marui and Kumiko's relationship x_X But I'm trying to speed it up a bit, without making it too rushed either x_X**

**BuntaFan- thank you! Glad you like it xD and..why is everybody saying cheers lately =0**

**Ansonozaki- thanks xD and everyone is saying cheers to me lol**

**PhoenixRage92- it probably will happen, though she might faint after calling him Bunta ;D And yesh, I figured Niou would do great as a Night Lover type xD Socrates is cool, isn't he? X_X well, no Socrates this time =0 We've got Buddha! And yep, Kumiko said the same thing about her own glare- I keep seeing my own hamsters and think of Kumiko whenever they stare up at me XD**

**Elusivemelody- I'm glad you liked it =0 I haven't exactly written a lot of Marui's POV before, so I don't know if its OOC or not =( Well, I'm hoping to do it more often to try and reel in Marui into the story more and progress his feelings for her (if any) XD**


	22. Rocket Science

"_Fine Line"_

"_It's not rocket science. It's social science."- Clement Mok_

_Chapter 22:__ Rocket Science _

_~***~_

I tapped my chin nervously as I looked left to right, eyes roaming the crowded station. People bumped into me from left and right, but I stood rooted to my spot.

Shiraishi said to wait for him here, and here it shall be. With nervous determination, I withstood all forces running into me, bumping into me, all eager to get on and off the train and off to their destinations.

"Oii~! Ishimaru-san!"

My head perked up and relief flood my face. Finally. "Shiraishi-san." I waved at him as he weaved through the crowded station.

Slight frustration traced his features as he grumbled at the lack of space. "Let's get out of here. Oshitari and the rest will be meeting up with us outside."

True enough, Oshitari Kenya arrived not too long later, along with a male with amazingly wild red hair. "Oiiii~!! Shiraishiiiiii!!" He leaped up and down in front of Shiraishi who had a small amused smile painted across his face.

"Yo, Kin-chan."

"…….." Did he just call him Kin-chan? For a person his age, I don't think the –chan term works really well….even if he does look and act very childishly.

Tooyama Kintarou was his full name….and he wasn't a host. I felt a little bubble of relaxation pop inside of me upon hearing that. After meeting so many hosts in all of these weird and quite spontaneous meets, it's nice to finally meet a new person who _wasn't_ trained to impress of charm. At least, I felt that it'll be easier to be around them when they weren't host. I did always after all, have this sense of insecurity around them, and with this insecurity also came…well, you can hardly deny it, but I felt awe around them.

It was a very confusing feeling, to say the least.

"Heeh~ Kumi-chan then!" Kintarou's grinning face peered up at me, and he shook my hand with a wild fevor. I could feel my teeth chatter.

"Oi,Kin-chan, you're going to knock her teeth off at this rate." Kenya laughed and I flushed at his embarrassing joke.

Kintarou had been away studying in Osaka, attending this special tennis program as a special guest.

"So you play tennis?" I asked him, and he beamed proudly. " Yep! I swear I'll beat the socks off that Koshimae one day!!"

"K-Koshimae…?"

Kenya rolled his eyes and sighed. "He still hasn't gave up on that goal. It's someone that he met during our school days, and he swore to beat him at tennis."

"I see…."

"Are you familiar with the name Echizen?" Shiraishi asked, one eye keeping an eye on Kintarou walking beside him.

Echizen? Echizen, Echizen…where did I hear that name before?

My eyes blinked in realization. "Echizen Nanjirou?!"

"Close, but no." Shiraishi chuckled. "His son- Echizen Ryoma."

"Kin-chan can't read kanji to save his life. He keeps reading it as Koshimae rather than Echizen." Kenya inserted with a guffaw.

"So the one he's talking about is Echizen Ryoma, son of Samurai Nanjirou?!" I could hardly believe my ears. I wasn't too into tennis, but I do know the name Samurai Nanjirou. He had sent rippling waves throughout the tennis world and beyond!

Kintarou was very easy to get along with, what with his happy-go-lucky attitude; not to mention he was hardly interested in charming the hell out of anyone, which is a good thing for me.

Kenya eyed his watch for the umpteenth time, and I could not help but ask, "Who are you waiting for?"

"My cousin."

…….Cousin? Does that mean…

I paled slightly. Don't tell me…

"Yo~ Yuushi!" Kenya waved, and quickly jogged up to his cousin who was approaching us.

I had nothing against Oshitari Yuushi personally. He just scared me with his forward attitude. And it did not help that I caught him checking out the legs of women multiple times, mine included…luckily, I was wearing comfy quarter pants today.

Shiraishi looked around for something, before turning to Oshitari. "Where's the others?"

Yuushi pushed his glasses up. "Shishido and Ootori stopped at a convenience store and will meet up with us later for lunch- if we have any- Niou isn't back from Hawaii yet, and Gakuto is with Marui at Aji-Ichiban."

Shiraishi sighed, eyes turning upwards in a helpless plea. "More sweets….I just can't understand how he maintains his teeth."

"It's called pure genius~" Marui drawled from behind me, startling me in the process. "Geh!"

Marui eyed me dubiously. "Jeez, you scare easily."

My lips twisted downwards in displeasure. He should have known that already! Yet he stills--!! Gah! I turned to Shiraishi. "Shiraishi-san, you didn't tell me they would come…"

"I didn't think I needed to, since I figured you wouldn't mind….you don't, do you?" He asked, ash eyes gazing down at me and I sighed. I _don't _mind, but that doesn't mean I feel any less uncomfortable with Oshitari here, and Marui picking at my nerves for reasons unknown to me.

When my eyes picked out a group of schoolgirls overhead eyeing me with derision however, only did I realize the oddity of my situation.

It's just me, with a bunch of men who puts women to shame…

I must play the look of a bimbo pretty well right now…

I reached up to rub my temple as the males started discussing on where they should head out to for their accessory shopping. And I could not help but find something really laughable about this; men, talking about shopping.

My lips quivered as a laugh threatened to explode from within me, but I kept it in check. It was rude to laugh at them for this. And very stereotypical of me if I did so. I mean, so what? Its not like its against the rules for guys to shop…though it still _is_ very weird.

They came to the unanimous decision of just randomly walking into one of the many complexes and just ambling about and buy anything they saw fit.

…quite typical of men, if you ask me.

I started to wonder why it is that Shiraishi asked me to tag along anyways, if he was going with such a large group. He had said that it was originally just Kenya and him and Yuushi, and that he didn't know that the others would come along with Yuushi…

"Ah! The new High and Mighty Color Album is out!!" Gakuto exclaimed and quickly bounded over to a CD shop we were passing, disappearing into its midst. I noted the large poster that was plastered over the window, sporting the very album Gakuto seemed very keen on obtaining.

Yuushi noted the quick disappearance of his friend, and gave me a long and forlorn sigh. "I will have to leave you for the time being, Ishimaru-hime."

"Ah…don't mind me…" He still scares me, even if he is a nice gentleman…in a creepy sort out way.

Kenya wandered off away from us not too long later into a shoe shop. We tried to wait for him, but he was taking too long picking out a shoe and Kintarou was getting impatient just sitting there so we left.

"Oiii, Shiraishiiii~ how long are we going to walk? I'm hungry!" Kintarou moaned, rubbing his belly.

Shiraishi's shoulders drooped and another sigh drawled from him." Kin-chan, you just _ate_!"

"It was just two dorayaki's and a couple of takoyaki's…." He pouted mournfully like a sad dog.

I tapped my chin offhandedly. "And a box of mochi's and a bag of dango…"

"And MY strawberry shortcake!" Marui growled. He still hasn't let go of the incident 30 minutes ago, where his box of cake had been snatched by Kintarou and consumed when he wasn't paying attention.

"But I'm hungryyyy!!" The man wailed and stamped his foot. I stared at him in disbelief. He was much more worse than Marui!

"Why don't we just head to the food court right away…?" My heart went out to the guy upon seeing his thoroughly unhappy face. I mean, it doesn't hurt us to have lunch a little early, right?

Oh, how wrong I was.

It hurt so badly to me. And I can't figure out why.

There was this little but ever so painful twist jabbing at my chest as I watched Marui talk to another girl…

She introduced herself as Ruriko.

~***~

"Ah, p-please, call me Ruriko." She smiled shyly and bowed.

I watched in curious wonder at our creepy coincidental meeting here at Shibuya. If I didn't know better, I'd say she stalked me. But I knew Ruriko to not be that kind of a girl, so it was probably coincidence that she's here as well.

Though it was still scary.

I had walked into the food court area with our small group, already settling my eyes at the dessert stand at the other side, when I heard my name being called by a distinctly familiar voice.

"Marui-kun?"

I turned to find Ruriko, a cup of chilled mocha in her hands as she peered at me in shock, a distinct red trailing across the bridge of her nose.

"So you're one of Marui's regulars?" Shiraishi asked her casually, trying to mae the fidgety girl more relaxed and fit in. She nodded meekly, ducking her head.

"Heeh~ Ne, can I have your--" Kintarou was cut off with a swift pinch on his arm by Shiraishi. He howled in pain.

"No you may not, Kin-chan." Shiraishi grounded out firmly.

The snicker that escaped me could not be helped. I still held a pretty mean grudge at the lost of my cake.

"So what are you doing here, Ruriko-chan?" I asked.

I could not help but notice how unusually quiet Kumiko was, more so than usual, since Ruriko's entrance.

~***~

I didn't like it.

I didn't like how he referred to her by her first name, by –chan.

Since meeting Marui, I had only ever recalled and known him to call me by first name. He called the rest by family names and princesses and ladies; even Aya and the rest.

So hearing him call another girl by her first name is new to me. And I didn't like it one bit.

Didn't like how he called her, didn't like myself for disliking it…

I disliked myself for this, because I know this feeling I was experiencing is unreasonable. Marui and I aren't hooked up, nor did I ever shown any interest in him, so he wasn't exclusive to me only.

I knew full well he had the rights to do whatever he wanted, flirt as much as he wanted, charm as much as he wanted, and call her by Ruriko-_chan_ as much as he wanted…So I shouldn't be feeling this dark emotion swirling within me…

Marui after all, is nothing but a persistent overgrown brat.

Shiraishi is so much better than him. Shiraishi is considerate, gentle and kind.

Marui is intrusive, cocky and obnoxious.

Ruriko's ebony black eyes met mine across the round table, and for a split second, I felt this surging hate towards her. And then it was gone again.

She blinked her large eyes at me, and promptly turned her attention on Marui beside her again.

Ignored me…

Ignorance…ignored…it was a familiar feeling.

Multitudes of scenes replayed in my head, from years recently and years before; kids and teens alike walking past me, glancing at me and then glancing away.

It was a feeling I was familiar to. And I got used to it, that I didn't care much anymore.

But I felt a sting when she ignored me. A very dark and venomous sting reeking of contempt.

"I….I'm going to the b-bathroom…" I stuttered, pushing myself up from my seat.

My eyes briefly glanced towards Marui, whom Ruriko had reeled into her one-sided conversation that was being led by her. A monologue that was full of giggles and stutters played out in a soft, frail voice.

That sting I felt turned red. A very painful red, when I saw Marui smile at her and failed to notice my departure.

With my turned back, I also failed to notice Shiraishi staring after retreating form.

~***~

She disappeared around the corner to the ladies room, and I turned back around and took a sip of my green tea mocha.

"Shiraishiii~ Can I go get some of that curry fish over there?" Kin-chan tugged at my sleeves and I rolled my eyes. "Kin-chan, you're a grown man. Stop asking me for permission and go get it."

He stared at me blankly and nervously. "Ahh….I don't have money…"

With a reluctant sigh, I pulled out my wallet and threw it to him. He cheered consequently and fled the table at breakneck speed, scaring several kids on the way.

I eyed Ruriko who sat across from me inconspicuously. I could feel the glaringly empty space beside me where Kumiko was originally sitting beside Marui.

That redhead as of now is listening with attentiveness to what Ruriko was saying. But I could tell he was bored out of his mind. If he was, why is he letting her continue? Just change the topic to something else! He's a host; he should be able to do that without igniting any suspicion. And honestly, I'm kinda tired about listening to her talk about her pet Chihuahua.

Marui eyes suddenly alighted and he looked around before asking aloud. "Where's Kumiko-chan?"

"Bathroom." I answered shortly, noticing the small hamster glare that ran across Ruriko's features.

"Oh…you think she'd get lost?" Marui pondered and started to look behind him when Ruriko waved her hand offhandedly.

"I think Ishimaru-san should be fine…It's hard to get lost here." She smiled sweetly, pink blushing her cheeks. Marui snorted at her words. "You have no idea…"

Even I could not help the fleeting grin. She'd get lost just going to the bathroom at Club Sacred! It's not that huge….

"She has no sense of direction at all! Absolutely none!" Marui shook his head in amusement and exasperation.

I stood up from my seat, gently pushing the chair back. "I'll go make sure she gets back here."

Marui stared up at me dubiously. "I'll go-" I raised a hand and smiled at him. "It's fine, Marui. You keep Ishikawa-san here company."

Ishikawa Ruriko was not one of my customers. I did not need to listen to her and refer to her by first name.

I didn't want to either.

Perhaps if it was Ishimaru who asked it, then I would call Ishimaru by her first name. But not Ishikawa.

She and Ishimaru were similar, even a blind man would notice that. But…she just wasn't Ishimaru Kumiko. There was something that sets them apart from each other, other than the obvious ones.

Something that Ishikawa has that sets her apart from Ishimaru….or perhaps, its something that Ishimaru has that sets her apart from Ishikawa.

Either way, unreasonable as it is- as I realize- I didn't particularly like Ishikawa.

But being the host that I was trained to be, and my natural nature, I still gave her a warm smile before turning to look for the constant-damsel Ishimaru.

I was kinda glad I didn't meet Ishikawa under host and customer situations. I didn't exactly want to kiss her hand with those black painted nails.

~***~

I splashed cold water all over my face, rubbing my eyes feverously.

I was confusing myself, and distressing myself. Never before had I ever disliked a person upon the first meet. I was usually apathetic to others until I got to know them better.

Then why did I not like Ishikawa Ruriko? I hardly knew her!

She was….sweet, shy and quiet. The type that I should get along with, the type I can find commonality with. But I just can't find it within myself to smile at her, or even speak to her.

Neither could I explain those foreign feelings, which grew the more I see her talk to Marui.

Is it only because she was talking to Marui? Would I still feel the same way if she talked to Shiraishi instead? I wouldn't know, for she hardly spoke to the man. She seemed so….smitten with Marui, only having eyes and ears for him.

And that was what scared and freaked me out the most- the idea that I didn't like her just because she was close to Marui (more so than me?).

I turned off the tap and leaned my head against the frosted mirror before me, feeling the water run down my cheeks like a tear would.

"This is so retarded of you Kumiko…" I muttered softly to myself, feeling rather stupid over everything at the moment. Not only stupid, but frustrated too.

I was confusing myself, and I can't decipher nor understand my own thoughts and emotions. This makes me feel more stupid than ever, because this is my own thoughts and emotions we're talking about, and I can't process them! You'd think that a person should be able to understand their own heart and mind.

When I stepped out of the ladies room, I was surprised to find Shiraishi there, leaning up against one of the shop windows, apparently waiting for me.

"What are you doing here, Shiraishi-san?"

"Just making sure you found your way back to the court." He answered smugly and I felt my fingers twitch. I know that I have a minimal sense of direction ( I refuse to believe that I have none), but they didn't have to rub it in…

Just as I turned to head back towards the food court, Shiraishi pointed the other direction instead. "It's this way."

"…Isn't the food court the other way?" Was I wrong, or was he wrong? Cause I swore I passed by that boutique on my way here…

He shook his head. "We're not going back to the food court, yet anyways. I wanted to check something out."

"Oh…okay." I tailed after him, passing by various shops which sold eccentric yet interesting items. Shiraishi led us to a shop that sold ties.

"You're getting a tie?" Of all things he can buy, a tie?

"I work as a host, Ishimaru-san. I wear ties on a near daily basis." That is true…most of them wore suits and the like, though there were times I saw a few hosts dressing not in suits but casual clothes (like Shishido that one night, on my birthday).

I picked up the price tag of one tie folded neatly in a box, spluttered at the numbers I saw and backed out of the shop to get a look at the shop name.

"Elude Ties?" I didn't know what kind of a brand it was, but I do know I was never going into any shop with that name again.

Shiraishi rolled his eyes when I came back and eyed the pricey ties suspiciously and with doubt. "It's not that expensive…Even if it is, as long as we get what our money paid for."

"Easy for you to say." He should know that not everyone makes a lot of money.

I laughed when I saw a black tie that had heart patterns all over it. "You should get this one." I held it up to his face and he blanched. "That's such a gaudy looking tie."

"It's cute and comical though- I'm sure your customers would like it."

"At my expense, yes." Shiraishi waved the tie away. I placed it back to its original position with a laugh. It would have been interesting to see him wear that tie.

As we left the shop, Shiraishi asked me something which caught me off guard.

"Do you not like Ishikawa-san, Ishimaru-san?"

I stared at him, emotions slowly creeping out of my face and leaving it blank.

"I don't dislike her."

'_I hate her.'_

He walked up to me, pocketing his credit card. He had made sure that he took out his credit cards before handing his wallet to Kintarou, or else that redhead would have surely bust a hole through his bank account.

"I see."

"Why?"

He shrugged broad shoulders. "I don't know….you've just been really quiet back there." Aren't I always quiet though? And what has me being queit got to do with my affinity with Ruriko?

…But I knew Shiraishi to be a really sharp person.

~***~

It's true that Ishimaru-san is usually quiet. But she just seemed quieter than usual, and not in a good way. It was an awkward and gloomy type of silence.

Whenever she was quiet, she'd just stare aimlessly at something, or just watch us do whatever we do.

But back there when Ishikawa joined us, she'd rather stare at her hands, fiddling them with each other instead; refusing to raise her head. And if she did, it would be to stare at Ishikawa (or was it Marui?).

If I didn't know better, I'd say she….

I shook my head, dispelling my thoughts. Nah, I knew better than that.

~***~

Rather than heading back to the food court, the two of us ended up wandering around instead. He wasn't hungry, and neither was I. So we figured it would be pointless for us to go back to the food court right away. Kintarou would probably be fine as long as he stuck with Marui; although Shiraishi was worried that Marui might ditch him as payback. Then again, Marui would probably be stuffing himself as well, if he wasn't talking to Ruriko…

I ran my hand along various glossy covers before pulling one out of its place.

We stopped at Kinokuniya, having nothing else to do. It was quite packed in the bookstore today, seeing as it was the weekend. Loads of students were here buying new materials, books and mangas to read.

Shiraishi was glancing through some magazines on gardening, and I was next to him picking at art magazines and looking for what's new on the art scene.

It wasn't too long before we got bored though, having found nothing that interested us in this months edition. We found ourselves at the fiction section, laughing at some of the books which we found the plots funny.

"Another vampire romance?" I moaned in exasperation.

Shiraishi turned the book to its backside, and read out loud the synopsis.

"Terra was a normal human girl, living an ordinary human life…until she met Blake." I stopped him before he could go on reading. "Stop, stop! My ears and heart, they hurt!"

He chuckled and placed the book back on its shelf. "I'm sure Kenya's cousin would have got a good laugh reading this. He's quite a romance novel critic."

Oh yea…Kenya did tell me once before that his cousin had an interest in romance novels, and was even writing some of his own.

"But I find it silly, really, for these authors to write such novels and attempt to describe the emotions felt by the characters. The heart after all, is no easy matter to understand." I watched as Shiraishi ran his fingers across the rows of romance novels, before coming to a stop and going back the other way.

"What's even more silly is that they make their emotions so…perfectly fine, for lack of better words."

"What do you mean?"

"…You can't unconditionally love someone just like that, like they make it in the novels. Take this girl in that vampire novel for example. She loves him whole heartedly, despite being a vampire." He flipped it open to the middle and read a couple of quick passages before putting it back. " I keep reading about how she feels regarding the vampire; love and pure love only. But I don't see any other forces working on her."

"Love…does not affect only the heart. It affects the mind, the body and the senses." The more and more Shiraishi spoke, the more and more I felt afraid regarding my own thoughts and emotions.

"True, reason may not be able to understand the reasons of the heart. But…" He trailed off.

"But?" I wanted to know what he will say. There were many things which Shiraishi said that made sense, and many of which I agree and disagree with. But the fact remains is that his words had piqued my interests, and started churning my own mind that had jammed up when I was in the bathroom, trying to configure my head; but that failed and all the gears seemed to have locked on itself with confusion and unreasonable fear. Shiraishi's voice and words were slowly igniting the gears back to life, helping me clear up my head even if he did not know it.

Or did he?

"But the idea of a perfect love is silly."

…Perfect love is silly?

Why is that? Is it because the existence of such a thing is impossible? Shiraishi had shrugged and did not answer my question, merely shook his head and smiled.

Perfect love….what did he mean exactly, by perfect love?

A love like Romeo and Juliet? Like Cinderella and her prince? Snow White and her Prince Charming?

Those were fairytale love.

Such a love should not exists….

!!?

Is that what Shiraishi had meant? That those love stories we see in books and sonnets are merely just the figments of imagination by their respective authors?

Such a powerful and fine type of love should not be able to exist in our world, where everything is ran in the system of self-interest incentive.

The more I think about it, the more it made sense.

I feel my own clouded mind clearing up, but a mist still remained- I still did not know why I disliked (hated) Ishikawa Ruriko so much.

I wanted to dispel this emotion, and redeem myself. I felt like I had done something sinful and wrong by being so prejudice towards Ruriko for no reason. I figured that I should talk and open myself up to Ruriko; she was a nice girl, from what I can see at least, and I should be able to get along fine with her easily especially with the added bonus of her being a female and not a male.

But my heart furiously rejected this idea my mind conjured.

It was like they were now two different entities working against each other, trying to decide what I should do and should not do separately.

I rubbed my head as a dull pain ebbed into me. A hand on my shoulder caused me to look up, and meet with a pair of dark black eyes, and then lavender, before I turned to Shiraishi beside me.

"You alright?"

I nodded and smiled at him, then I tried to smile at Ruriko and Marui beside her. But I can't seem to pull my lips upwards.

"Yea, I'm fine."

My heart and mind shouldn't be rocket science.

* * *

**Lol. Ironically, I was also dissing myself when I wrote Shiraishi's lines regarding romance novels D:**

**A bit swamped with homework right now, and my eye isnt helping by being sorely busted, so I'm going to make this quick =[ And I'm sooooryy for the reaaaally slooooooow story progress. And even I'm getting bored of the lack of Marui and Kumiko action! I'm trying to get these two together within the next...I dunnoe. Maybe 10 chapters? Or is that too long? Dx omg lol I suck at planning my stories=(  
**

**Juunin- xD thanks a lot haha~**

**PhoenixRage92- I knoooow. What I wouldnt give to be her? =( Yuck, school Dx school is taking away my fanfiction time =(**

**kiki123- thank you~ **

**Lady Ladington- yea...I'm starting to feel that its a bit unrealistic for her to go there for free so often x_X Or maybe our PoT males are just extremely generous people~ xD Well, this story is going to be pretty long I figured, since theres this little arc that I had in my head for sometime now, and I really want to bring it in but I just have no idea how xD**

**Fon-chan- yea, I was thinking of making a side story about Akaya and Kumiko next time, after I finish this xD It'll probably be a separate story from FL, but takes place in the same world and generally same time line xD**

**Marui=L - aww thank you T^T I'm undeserving of such words=(**

**PoT Addict- haha I dont mind you requesting, although I cant guarantee that I can do it lol we'll see first xD I might be able to find some really retarded reason and have the whole cast sent to Osaka or something haha but thank you~! x3  
**


	23. Rocket Science Two

"_Fine Line"_

_"Life isnt rocket science....Or is it?"  
_

_Chapter 23: Rocket Science Two  
_

~***~

Just how long is it that she will be with us anyway?

I walked beside Shiraishi, watching Marui walk up ahead with Ruriko attached to him like a leech.

I thought that she'd leave, when we left the food court. But nooo, she had to stick around.

I frowned and looked away, unable to keep my eyes ahead any longer. I failed to notice Shiraishi glance at me, blinking before turning his attention back to Kintarou, bouncing up and down giddily beside him.

Gakuto and Oshitari Yuushi had returned, with Kenya tagging along with his cousin. With the presence of Ruriko now, Oshitari was kind of switching back and forth between us, though I'd much prefer it if he paid attention to Ruriko instead, and possibly distract her away from Marui…

Gah! What am I thinking?! I don't like Marui like that!

I could careless whether the two of them kissed right in front of me right now!

"Hmph."

"?" Shiraishi and Gakuto blinked curiously at me and I blushed. "Uhh…nothing." I must have accidentally let out my displeasure.

I walked straight into something suddenly, and my head jolted up to look. I turned red. "S-sorry, Marui-sa—"

"Eeeeh-! Did you forget?" He wagged a finger as he turned around to face me.

"……..?"

"It's –kun!"

….Oh yea…I sighed and reluctantly grounded out. "Sorry, Marui…-kun."

When I looked beside me, I barely caught Ruriko wiping off the angry pout she had on her face.

…the hell?

"Come on, Marui-kun! Let's go and find you a new shirt, ne~?" She cheered happily, clasping her hands behind her.

The redhead turned to look at her, blinking cluelessly for a few moments before nodding. "Sure."

…Why is he so different with her, compared to me?

Why is he such a gentleman with her, but an arrogant kid with me?

Why is that so?

~***~

When I heard the soft voice call my name, I looked up from the dress I was browsing. Ruriko stood there, rolling back and forth on her heels, and despite the smile on my face, I didn't feel any genuine gladness from seeing her.

"What is it, Ishikawa-san?"

She blinked up at me and looked away again. "Please, just call me Ruriko-chan, Ishimaru-san."

Why do you want me to call you Ruriko-chan, when you continue to call me by my family name?

"O-okay…" A little part of me wished that I had the guts to tell her no.

She walked up to me and picked up the dress I was looking at. I looked behind us to see that the guys were at the other side of this fairly large shop. The males and females section were divided, and we're on the female side.

I didn't want her to stick around me long, but I could find no way to tell her to go away, nor did I just want to walk off and come off as a mean prick.

"Ne, Ishimaru-san…" She started and I peeked at her. "Hm?"

"Marui-kun is a really great person, isn't he?!" She gushed at me, pink flushing her face.

……what?

"I always wondered if his eyes are naturally like that…he never does tell me whether he wears contacts or not! And I cant tell either, since they look so natural!!"

Did she want to talk to me….just to fangirl about him?

I could only stare at her silently as she went on and on about how amazing Marui is and just how much she admired and adored him for reasons that escapes me. She spoke as if she knew him very well, and I bit my lip at this.

At the end of her long soliloquy, I could only smile and say, "I-I see…" and turn my head away to hide whatever emotion that resided on my face.

'_Does she really like him that much…? Is he even that great?' _

~***~

My face scrunched up in disgust before I threw the shirt back to where I picked it up, leaving it a messy lump for the shop assistants to clean up.

I turned to complain about the lack of choices in this choice to Shiraishi to see him smirking amusedly which made me lift a curious eyebrow at him. "What is it?"

He ran a hand through his hair and turned his eyes on me, that same smirk still plastered on his face. "Ishikawa-san really loves you doesn't she?"

I rolled my eyes at his loose usage of the word 'love'. "It's like, not love. Don't mix them up around!" I paused in between my sentence to blow my bubblegum out of habit before continuing. "Besides, what makes you say that?"

"It's hard to miss her recent words of reverence that she was telling to Ishimaru-san." He said with a laugh. "I think you're the only who missed it, Marui. Ironic that it's about you too." Shiraishi nodded to Kintarou who was at the moment hiding amongst a rack of skirts and just looking like a little kid trying to pickpocket the ladies he was eavesdropping on.

I leaned my body to the side to see Ruriko with Kumiko not too far away at the ladies section of the shop, noting the heavy red on Ruriko's skin and the blank look of Kumiko's. _'As expected of Kumiko-chan~_' I thought with a half-hearted laugh at the look on her face. She usually always have this wiped out stare at things that did not pertain to her.

I closed my eyes and shrugged, not feeling anything regarding this in the least. "Mah, I know I'm adored~"

"Egoistic much, Marui?" Shiraishi asked sarcastically with a roll of his eyes.

"It's all natural Shiraishi."

Talking to Shiraishi is fun and weird at the same time. This guy is too good for his own good. Hell, he doesn't even try and he'll excel at everything he does!

Makes me kinda mad sometimes, but I'm not jealous! Nooo…of course not! I'm a natural pure genius~ I can do things just as well as he can.

"You done?"

With a grunt, I hung the shirt back into its place. "Yea. Let's go pay for Kintarou's stuffs….well, you're paying of course."

"Naturally." Shiraishi sighed forlornly.

I pity the guy. Even years after school, that Kintarou kid is still sticking to him like a leech and mooching off him. Heaven knows why Kintarou does that, when he earns more than what we earn doing his job as a tennis pro. Perhaps it was just out of habit. Bad habits were indeed hard to break, I told myself, and stared cross-eyed at the green bubble that emerged from my mouth.

Mum isn't too please that I still chew gum and candy on a daily basis after all these years. She thought I'd stop after middle school. Well…guess not.

The two girls were still inside with Kintarou when we were done paying, so we decided to wait by the shop exit for them. Gakuto is with Yuushi and Kenya at the sports store across from this shop, and we were supposed to head there to meet up with them after we're done here.

Shiraishi stood with the bag of clothes Kintarou wanted by his feet and arms crossed, looking around the store aimlessly. I leaned against the glass window with my hands stuffed into my pockets, fingering the bubblegum wraps inside them.

"Ishikawa-san and Ishimaru-san…are really similar, aren't they?" Shiraishi spoke up suddenly, eyes blinking slowly as he watched the figures of the two girls with a look that he would probably get if Kintarou or Kenya suddenly told him they were gay.

I snorted and followed his line of gaze. "…I guess."

"It's kinda unsettling." He said with a laugh, and a little part of me agreed. Similar in many ways, and different in little. But the little and subtle differences were great and contrasting, that it overshadows whatever similarity they may have.

One main factor would be that Ruriko doesn't mind going to host clubs. Kumiko wouldn't be found drop dead at one, which if it was real, she'd be dead several times over now. I mused over this ironic turn out with slight amusement.

"Who do you think is better?" Shiraishi asked, and that question threw me off guard causing my position to slacken in bafflement.

"U-h…err…" I totally did not expect a guy like Shiraishi to ask such a question to be honest. "Well…they each have their own qualities…"

Shiraishi seemed to have expected this answer from me, for he casted me a _very_ amused look, one that said, "Uh-huh. Right, I believe you." Or something to that extent.

"Why are you asking me that anyway?!" I asked with a huff, trying to drive the topic away and pounce it back onto him, to get back at him for that small jab at my pride. "We're hosts you know-" He finished my sentence for me.

"And we don't discriminate between women." He said with a smile and I nodded. "But that doesn't mean we aren't allowed to have our own gossip forever and ever, right?" He asked me then with a conniving grin.

…this guy was a real sneaky fox in sheep's clothing. I'll have to bust him out one day.

"W-well, yea but…" I really didn't know what to say. It was grounded into our heads when we first got the job what we are allowed to do, what we cant do, and what we have to do.

We weren't allowed to compare the customers that's for sure; it wasn't a nice thing to do especially since sometimes they are pretty emotionally wrecked. Neither do we gossip, since it might effect our service qualities if we had weird, funny, unpleasant and bad thoughts about them, which can really throw our charm down a notch or two. This has been scientifically proven….by Atobe's private scientists. Whether it is reliable or not, it has yet to be known.

But of course, we still do it once in awhile, but it's only once in a blue moon. When this occurs, it usually revolves around customers that are either really 'way out there', or a potential mass murderer.

I don't think Kumiko was either of these two. And neither is Ruriko.

"I don't know…honestly. I mean like I said, they each have their own qualities." And that's the truth. Both are nice girls and special in their own way. Ruriko had a very sharp and calculative mind, and Kumiko was very creative.

Shiraishi gave a low hum as he blinked at me contemplatively. Then I frowned at him, propping my arms on my sides. "You ask me, what about you?!"

He opened his mouth to speak but it was at that moment that the two girls with Kintarou trudged towards us, Kumiko looking drop-dead tired for some reason, and Ruriko still bright and smiling. Kintarou…was being Kintarou.

"Nothing you guys want?" Shiraishi asked them conversationally.

"If I had the money…" My sharp ears picked out Kumiko muttering, and apparently did Shiraishi's for he laughed at her. "I'll buy it for you."

She shook her head at him. "Nah. Waste of money."

"That's right…I saw this really nice dress, but then its way overpriced for what it's actually made out of!" Ruriko huffed with a flip of her hair.

By this time, we were already heading over to the other side where Gakuto and the rest are. We arrived to find Oshitari, the one who works with us and not Club Sacred, on the phone.

"Who is it?" I asked the two hosts with him.

Kenya shrugged and Gakuto answered. "Atobe."

I mouth made an 'O' and I snickered when I saw Oshitari pushing his glasses up in frustration and muttering something into his handphone before shutting it.

"What did Atobe want?" Gakuto immediately questioned when Oshitari walked back towards us.

The man pushed his faux glasses up- its not like he needs them. It was just for show.

"He wants us over at his place tonight…so that he can show off his new surround sound system to us." Oshitari said with a small smirk of annoyance.

Gakuto deadpanned and so did I.

I know we should be used to it by now but jeez, must he rub it in our faces everytime he gets a brand new blow-a-hole-in-our-pockets item into his house?

Yukimura says that Atobe is being generous and even allowing us to use those expensive items of his, but I disagree. He's just flaunting it, being Atobe and all.

What's worse is that he's the boss (sort of) so we can't really say no unless we have a darn good excuse for it. Then again, most people won't deny a chance to visit the Atobe household which can be listed as a world wonder if he tried to. Or at least, get on the listing for the world's top ten most expensive houses or something.

I don't like listening to him jabber on about his greatness and whatnot, but I will admit that the guy has good tastes, and so does his chefs. Their strawberry fondues are to kill for!

"I told him that we're out right now with them, but he says to bring them along." Oshitari nodded his head at Shiraishi and the rest.

Gakuto swiftly whipped around to face them. "You guys _are_ coming right? It'll allow for a distraction for us to get away from Atobe and his speech once we're there."

Kenya's eyebrow twitched at Gakuto's comment but said, "Wont give up the chance to see Atobe's mansion again for the world. You going Shiraishi?"

"Hmmm~" He rubbed his chin in thought.

"Atobe will let you go through his garden." Oshitari convinced.

"Ecstasy~ I'll go then." He agreed then.

"If Shiraishi is going, I'm going!" Kintarou piped up loudly and I looked at him. "I don't think you're included." I honestly don't think he is. I mean…Atobe usually only allow us hosts, who work with him, and the occasional other hosts to come over just to 'admire his new home technology.' Kintarou wasn't a host.

"I don't think Atobe would care if Kintarou came with us." Oshitari said, and Kenya agreed.

Two against one, guess I'm beat. I looked at the two girls questioningly. "What about them?"

"Atobe said it was fine."

"So, you two coming, Ishimaru-san, Ishikawa-san?" Shiraishi asked the two.

"Eh? Is it fine?" Ruriko asked hesitatingly and I scratched my head. "If Atobe said it is, I guess it is."

"Really?! I'll go too then!" Ruriko had no qualms about going. This must be a once in a lifetime chance for her.

I looked at Kumiko who was shifting her right foot around in doubt. "You going to come Kumiko-chan?"

She looked up at me, startled, then quickly looked away again. "I…I don't know…"

"It'll be fun." Shiraishi said with a shrug of his shoulders, smiling at her.

Kumiko raised her brown eyes to look up at Shiraishi beside her and she was silent for a moment before nodding her head. "Okay."

I don't know why, but for some reason, I frowned when I saw her agreeing when Shiraishi asked her to come along, but she wasn't sure when I asked her just now.

It was a hard stab to my pride. One that I couldn't really explain.

"Are we going to go now, Marui-kun?" Ruriko asked from my left and I nodded unsurely at her, feeling a little out of it. "Yea.."

"Shouldn't we find Shishido-san and Ootori-san first…?" Kumiko questioned quietly and then only did I remember those two were still out there somewhere.

"Y-yea…we should." I answered and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ruriko pout.

* * *

**Xp there is a bit of a…hidden message around the end of this one ;D lets see if you can…annotate/analyze it haha. I wont tell you guys xD*has been doing too much literature annotations lately***

**But omg!**

**Thanks for all the reviews guys =] I do appreciate it. I have reached the 100 reviews mark and more, and I just can't believe I did that lol I always imagined I would only get there after 50 chapters of this lump of mess, but to get there in 22 chapters, I never thought of that xp Let's help me get to 150 now, shall we? =D I think I'm probably going to set the record for longest Marui Bunta story ever at this rate haha**

**Oh yes. Check out this site I made: **http:// potsecrets. webs. com/

**Without any of the spacings of course =D**

**Its a sort of a Tenipuri Secret Santa thing, only we don't stay in the realms of Christmas only =] Our first even is a Secret Santa though. So if you're a fanfiction writer, or an artist, feel free to join~! We need more participants for the SS anyways XD**

**Ami H- =D thank you~ I'm glad you enjoy them!**

**Marui Fan- xD thank you~ =]**

**Lollipop- xD look forward no more haha**

**Lady Ladington- yes, it is a milestone xD I didn't think I'd even get here haha. I must thank both you and PhoenixRage92 especially, since if it weren't for you guys, this story would have ended right at chapter 4=0 but your encouraging and inspiring reviews made me continue up till now xp I still remember you jumping back to older chapters just to pester me haha**

**PhoenixRage92- yes, Kin-chan in there, cause I was at a loss of what to write and I was like "Bah, lets put in Kin-chan for the heck of it!!" XD well, remember this is Kumiko we're talking about! She probably might find a small puppy baring its teeth scary lol and to her, Yuushi can be a lion haha or even a rabid rabbit xD**


	24. Blank and Wet

"_Fine Line"_

_"It's like watching a horror movie through a microscope"  
_

_Chapter 24__: Blank and Wet  
_

_~***~_

I figured that after seeing Atobe's Crystal Palace, nothing I ever come across –from that man especially- should ever surprise me ever again. But I was wrong.

"I can't believe this is what he calls his house…" I mumbled, appalled. Clearly that man was not right in the head.

He says welcome to his humble home, but it was _anything_ but humble.

It was huge, needless to say. As large as or possible larger than his Crystal Palace. And it was nice- or rather, beautiful. A wonderful piece of architecture.

I would have stumbled along and ogled more at everything I passed by but I had to keep up with the group, who other than Ruriko(I'm not too sure about Kintarou), been here plenty of times and isn't too amazed at anything they came across the whole time we're in this place.

It's so amazing that if Atobe asked us to stay the night, I'd say yes!

"Uwaaah~ Atobe, is this really necessary just to watch movies?" Gakuto part exclaimed and part deadpanned in disbelief. I totally agreed with Gakuto's question.

Was it really necessary to have a surround sound system consisting of ten very large and very loud stereos? I didn't know too much into these types of things; but I do know that those sleek silver stereos that are carefully and strategically placed around the room had to be very expensive and of very high quality just basing off their looks alone.

Atobe then kindly offered to play a movie for us just to test out his new system (and new high definition tv). Although Marui muttered grumpily beside me that he was just rubbing it into our faces.

Well, I can't say that I completely agree with what he said, though it might be true. Then again, I have no qualms about it as its not everyday that I get to experience such a thing firsthand; which is why I quite happily took a seat in one of his soft, plush couches, which had been arranged in a movie theater type of seating, causing his audio-video room to look like a real auditorium or cinema (only with better equips).

There was a vote on what movie we should watch, but it didn't work too well. Everyone voted for a movie they want to watch, which caused one votes for each movie. Seeing as it was going nowhere though, and I really wanted to try this sound system, I in the end voted for Lord of The Rings: The Return of The King (with subtitles, luckily. Atobe apparently detests with venom to have dubbings for anything he owns and wants them in their original language) along with Kenya, making the votes 2:1 and tipping the scale by a margin.

As the movie began and all of us having settled into our spots of favor, our host himself had called in several servings of snacks and drinks of our choices. Atobe sat at the front of course. He demanded he get the front-center seat when Gakuto jumped there, and the redhead grumpily removed himself. Ruriko was (as expected) snuggled next to Marui in front of me, and I was behind the two with Kenya and Shiraishi. Kenya had moved next to me, having jokingly said that "In politics, party members sit together"- referring to how we both voted for the same movie. Shiraishi just came along with Kenya, and as such, Kintarou came along as well. Oshitari and Gakuto were at the front next to Atobe, while Shishido and Ootori decided to sit behind us instead (Shishido claimed that Gakuto talks too much during a movie and refused to sit with him).

I ended up sharing caramel popcorn with Kenya, since Kintarou took his. Also because I was saving my stomach space for the tiramisu cake that is coming.

Kintarou shuddered beside Shiraishi. "T-that g-guy really r-reminds me of t-the guy in the manga I s-saw…he had beady eyes like t-that too!"

"….." I didn't really know what to say to that, so I kept silent. Kenya whispered to me then that Kintarou tended to take things to heart, and he used to be afraid of Shiraishi's bandaged arm, and probably still is.

I found it funny that Kintarou would be fearful of Shiraishi. I couldn't see Shiraishi as anything other than a very odd, quirky but charming guy.

I hardly paid attention to the movie, as I've seen this particular movie a couple of times already, back during middle school. I was a huge Lord of The Rings fan back then and still am. It was still as magical as I remembered it, and even if I knew what was going to happen next, I can't help but still feel strong surges of emotions at what occurs during the movie. Looking up from my plate of cake, I saw Ruriko leaning boredly against the palm of her arm, eyes dully eyeing the movie screen. She must not be enjoying the movie, seeing as she was more of a science person…I guess science and art doesn't really blend well together sometimes?

Halfway through the movie, I flipped open my phone to check the time, and my eye bulged when I saw it was already night- 9:00pm.

"Crap…" I cursed softly. My house was pretty far away from this place. It'll take sometime to get back, and in such late hours too…

Shiraishi peered over curiously. "It's that late already?" Even he was surprised.

"The movie is pretty long…this is the uncut edition." Kenya surmised, making a point.

"Ahn? Who's making all that noise back there?"

The three of us cringed. "Sorry Atobe…" We apologized.

The man turned around in his seat to eye us with his sharp eyes that seemed to glow eerily from the glow of the screen. "What are you guys complaining about?"

"…It's not that we're complaining, Atobe-san..." Kenya said nervously.

"It's just…kinda late." I said, blinking with wide nervous eyes at him. For some reason, we just didn't want to see an annoyed or angered Atobe right now. I and Kenya seemed to have similar thoughts on this for one reason or another.

Atobe brushed his hair back with a fast swish of his hand, eyes closing almost snobbily. "Maa~ What's the problem with that? Just stay the night." He said haughtily.

"I…I don't think that's a good idea…" I randomly made a lame excuse. "I got a lot of homework-"

"The driver will send you back to your house first thing tomorrow morning." Atobe interjected.

"But I don't want to impo-"

"You can't really impose. He has too much space for his own good." Oshitari sighed from next to Atobe, glancing back at us.

"Well, I don't really see a problem with staying the night." Kenya said with a slight cheer. He was obviously happy about this.

"Just stay, Kumiko-chan. Even Ruriko-chan is staying, right?" Marui said suddenly, turning around in his seat to face me then looking at Ruriko.

I resisted frowning and snapping at him with unexplained anger. I wanted to say that was her problem, not mine. But I didn't.

Ruriko smiled and shrugged. "If Marui-kun says so…then I'll be staying."

If she was staying, I was even less inclined to stay.

"Just stay Ishimaru-san. Its just one night. Besides, it'll be quite dangerous to go home by yourself at this time." Shiraishi spoke up from beside me and I sighed.

"Alright…" Shiraishi made sense.

"It's decided then. I'll tell the maids to prepare your rooms." Atobe stood up.

A chorus of thank you's went around from all of us in the theatre…from those who weren't from Club Prism at least.

The movie was cut short as there was still another hour of it to go before it ended, and my ears were starting to hurt from the brilliance of the surround sound that I was glad they stopped. We were showed our rooms and allowed to freshen ourselves up as most of us felt dirty and grimy from being outside all day.

I was located next to Ruriko's room, and the other boys were scattered down along the hallway and the hall on the other side. We could look across from our halls as there was a giant opening in between that allowed us to peer downstairs to one of the halls.

The grandeur of this place still kills my mind.

Oshitari, Gakuto, Shishido and Ootori came here more often that us (obviously) and more often than Marui as well, so they some of their belongings in rooms that were already assigned to them.

I kinda envied them, being able to come over here at anytime. Atobe might be a snob, but he was a benevolent one, that's for sure.

As most of us haven't had a proper dinner yet (the snacks didn't count) we were invited to go down to the dining hall to eat if we wished.

I didn't feel tired, and I felt uncomfortable without real food inside my stomach, so I went down, having met Ootori on the way by luck and he led me to the dining hall (or I would most likely have gotten lost).

Ootori had changed into more comfortable clothes and out of the jeans and shirt he wore that day. I didn't have any of my clothes here so I was lent some (from who, I didn't know. Perhaps a maid who was the same size as me). I was thankful for the nice and clean change of clothes, although I wished I had gotten slightly longer pants rather than the shorts I was given. They were sleeping shorts for comfort, but I generally preferred long or at least quarter, even if the fashion now is shorts.

I felt morbid and gaudy exposing my scrawny legs.

Marui was already at the dinner table when the two of us arrived, stuffing down as much strawberry fondue he could. Does this man ever eat anything healthier than confectioneries and sugar?

"Where does all the spare of this go if not into Kin-chan's and Marui's stomach?" Kenya asked no one in particular as he blinked in surprise at all the food placed on the table.

"I…I think they get cleaned up by Marui-kun and Kintarou-san no matter what…" I said, deadpanning at how those two were sweeping everything off the surface.

Deciding to get some before the two redheads (what a coincidence) cleared it all off, we each picked a seat and started to feed ourselves something substantial.

Kintarou burped loudly not a moment too soon. "I could get used to this…" He sighed in pure bliss.

"I think all of us could." Shiraishi laughed as he tucked into his orange marinated duck.

"Waaah~ Atobe-san's chefs are really amazing cooks!" Ruriko piped up from her seat across me, fork waving dangerously in the air.

I had to agree with her on that.

The night went pretty well, for the most part. We ate and talked (in Kintarou's case, he just ate) and watched some of us do stupid stuffs. It was like being at a school party or gathering. It almost feels as if all of us here haven't really grown up; even the hosts who always portrayed this mature and regal feeling.

Sometimes when I look back on things, I wonder how is it that I got so down later on that night.

Was it that drink which was so intoxicating that did it, or was it just me?

There was this blended drink which they served to us in jugs. And I adored it.

I had absolutely no idea how many glasses of it I poured for myself before I found out there was a bit of wine in them. Explains the slight dizziness I experienced later.

Ruriko had it too. A lot of it; possibly more than me. It's like that drink was some sort of female attracting drink, for the guys avoided it like the plague and had beers, sake and "real wine" (as they dubbed it. They claimed what we're having is faux) instead. Kintarou seemed to like it though.

The three of us who drank it were hiccupping like choking cats. I guess one reason for this would be that the three of us weren't heavy liquor drinkers, unlike the others here. Kintarou drank more energy drinks and soft drinks than he did alcohol. I don't know about Ruriko but I stuck with juice most of the time.

Ruriko hiccupped and swayed in her seat, face red, signs of being drunk. Or just extremely warm.

I know I was. It felt as if I was on the beach on a hot summer day.

"Nyeugh….Shiraishi~I want dango's!!" Kintarou cried with rosy cheeks drunkenly and Shiraishi slapped his forehead. "Idiot got himself drunk."

I would have laughed, but I was too sleepy to do so and continued to rest my head against the side of my arm, eyes staring drowsily to the front.

Whether unconsciously or consciously, my eyes followed Ruriko's swaying figure as she got up and moved one seat down to settle beside a muck of red.

I blinked my eyes to try and clear it and identify what this mysterious red thing was. My eyes watered as I did so from being so tired.

"Marui-kun!!"

"Wha-H-Hey!!"

….Or was it just what I was seeing that caused my watery and blurred vision, rather than fatigue?

I stared blankly, form slumped over and still resting against my arm, as Ruriko's and Marui's lips met and connected, and remaining there for God knows how long.

It was like watching a horror movie, at the part where the hero suddenly gets jumped from underneath or behind, and have one of his arms chewed off.

I didn't feel fear though. I just felt hollow.

"I'm kinda tired…I-I'm going to bed." I pushed myself up from my seat just as Marui disconnected himself from Ruriko who grinned giddily up at him.

Shiraishi seemed to shake himself out of his stupor of what just occurred and looked up at my standing figure. "A-Already?"

I nodded, not saying anything else as I excused myself out of that grotesque dining hall.

I heard someone softly call my name- I supposed it was Ootori. Only he has such a kind and gentle voice among all of them- but I ignored them and trudged up the stairs slowly. As soon as my foot hit the last step, I broke into a run for my room.

I wanted to get as far away as possible from that horror setting.

~***~

I didn't know how long I just laid there in that soft bed that belonged to the Atobe household. It was perhaps an hour or two before I heard voices outside my door.

"God, she's completely out of it."

"Stop complaining and help me carry her, Kenya."

"Why didn't we just get Marui to do it?"

"…ngh…Where's Marui-kun?"

"Sorry, Ishikawa-san. Marui already went back to his room."

I let my lids fall shut, and so did my ears- enclosing myself in a dark and soundless world, void and oblivious to any sounds that were sharp and painful to my ears.

A few minutes into this world I let myself into, my mind registered a dull echo.

I ignored it, but instead, a sliver of light seeped between my lids and I was forced to open them.

"Ishimaru-san…?"

It was Ootori.

"Hm?" I did not move from my position or spot on the bed, instead laid there, listening to his footsteps approach the bed with tentative steps.

"U-umm…"

"What is it?" I asked, still not turning over to look at him, continuing my charade of lying on my side.

"I just wanted to check that you were alright." He said. I could hear the blush and embarrassment in his voice. Ootori is such a nice man.

"I'm fine…Atobe-san's house is safe." I replied.

"….It's…not the house."

I didn't know what he meant so I did not reply. Then I felt a small shift on the bed as he sat on the edge of it.

"I think Ishikawa-san was really drunk." He laughed nervously.

I closed my eyes, frowning; but he couldn't see as I still did not turn over, instead showing him my back. "Hmm..really?"

"Yea...she drank a lot of that stuff." He continued with his nervous laughter.

"I see."

He was silent then, and since he was silent, I kept silent too.

"….Are you okay?"

It took me sometime to reply. "I told you I was, Ootori-san. Don't worry."

I couldn't see his expression, but I suddenly felt a warm touch against my cheek. It went as fast as it came.

"Alright then."

The weight on the bed edge lifted and I heard footsteps.

"Goodnight, Ishimaru-san."

"Goodnight, Ootori-san."

A flicking sound and the lights diminished. Then a click and I was back in my black void.

~***~

I sighed as I shut the door, leaning my back against it gently as I was met with the silent hall.

My short yet awkward conversation with Ishimaru-san replayed in my head quickly as flashes.

I looked up and down the hall to the right, at the door, behind where Ishikawa-san is sleeping right now.

Then diagonally to the left and across the wide spacious opening to the hall on the other side, where a dark maroon door peered mutely back at me.

I sighed and looked back down at my hand, running my thumb across my middle and index finger.

I don't think she's alright.

Standing straight up, I headed towards my room as I wiped my slightly wet fingers against my shirt.

* * *

**OMG! D: I am so close to 150 reviews now!! XD**

**Thank you SOOO much for the reviews!! XXD 10 reviews last chapter is the most I've ever gotten in a single chapter I believe ;D**

**But…yea. No one got the hidden message last chapter D; ah wells lol**

**PhoenixRage92- lol were you always on Kumiko's side? XXD I never knew haha XXD; Hmhmh, Shiraishi's part in this whole ordeal…even I don't know! LOLZ –bricked-**

**Kouyan- maaaybe? XD God knows how the human mind works D;**

**Bun-chan- XD haha I'm glad you find it fun to read=D**

**Ami H- yes. Atobe is always good as a distraction with his flamboyant ways xD **

**LadyLadington-Of course I remember! I remember getting up and saying "Omg, her again?!" lolol jkjk XD Well, I just watch the show in raw Japanese =0 I never really needed subs since I learn Japanese anyways lol I just get the subs whenever I see them to lend to my friends xD; so…no I wouldn't know where to get them D: just…google it? XD**

**Kuro-30fyre- Yes it does! ……does it? D; **

**Juunin- Shiraishi can steal attention wherever he goes. I bet he can steal it from Atobe as well if he tried XD**

**Yankee- :hug: aww thanks XD **

**Little Miss Wrong- lool I laughed at your name for your review the last chapter XD and thank you! But I'm sure there are better MaruiOC stories out there too! Mine is just too snail-paced and littered with plot holes lulz D;**

**Yay New Chapter- XXD are you going to name yourself this again? XD; **


	25. Spiralling Down Into Realization

"_Fine Line"_

"_He that is not jealous is not in love"- St Augustine_

_Chapter 25:__ Spiralling Down Into Realization  
_

_~***~_

I woke up early the next day, as in really early. The sun was just rising and casting a blue glow over the dark skies. I slept that night, but hardly well despite the alluring bed and well conditioned room.

Quickly freshening myself up in the luxurious bathroom that was connected to my room, I changed into my clothes from last night which the maids had washed and delivered to my room while we're at dinner yesterday.

…Blueberry? I never knew you can get washers with those scents…Ah, the wonders of being rich.

Tiptoeing out of my room, I gently shut the door and made my way down the soulless hall, intent on finding a staff of some sort to help me call for a taxi. I didn't want to stick around for everyone else to wake up.

I was scared out of my own skin however when a voice suddenly spoke up as I meandered, lost, around the large living room (it looked like a living room to me). I turned to find Atobe looking at me with questioning eyes.

"Ahn? Ishimaru-hime, why are you up so early?"

I can ask the same of him but…"Ah…I just needed to go back to my home now. I have a lot of work to do so…" It was a lie of course, and I was a terrible liar. And I hoped that he'll buy it.

He stared at me silently for a few moments before removing his reading glasses and rubbing his eyes. "I'll have the driver take you home." He said, folding the morning newspaper (they deliver it this early?!) in half and standing up.

I bowed quickly in thanks. "Thank you, Atobe-san."

He waved it off. "Don't mention it." He called upon his driver using one of the cordless phones in the room, waking the poor man up from his slumber and I made it a note to apologize and thank him profusely later when he takes me home.

As the driver was getting dressed and getting the limousine ready (did he really have to send me home in that…? Oh man, I hope no one is up yet when I arrive and won't see me stepping out of it…), Atobe waited with me at the front doors.

I fidgeted around and twiddled my thumb nervously with anxiety.

"Sure you don't want to stay for breakfast at least?" He asked me again and I shook my head. "N-no, it's alright. Thank you though, for last night and for allowing me to stay."

He snorted gracefully (is that even possible?). "Least you have the manners to thank me." Then he mumbled under his breath something about a loud and jumpy acrobat and cocky prodigies who are never grateful.

The sleek black limousine rounded around from the back of the mansion just then and rolled to a smooth stop in front of us. The driver quickly got out and opened the door for me.

"T-thank you…" I wasn't used to this sort of treatment. I turned around to face Atobe before getting in. "Thank you again, Atobe-san."

"Ah." He acknowledged with a nod and I slid in, the door closing right after me.

Closing my eyes, I relaxed myself into the soft seat, feeling all the tension and stress leaving me the further we drove away.

~***~

This morning is pretty much awkward.

As soon as I walked into the hall for breakfast, I was assaulted from the side by a frantic Ruriko, who was practically red and pouring out floods of tears.

"I'm so sorry, Marui-kun! I'm so, so, so, sorry!!" She kept apologizing, hands clasped together and guilt welling up in her eyes. "I-I didn't know what I was doing a-and—"

I cut her off. "Hey, it's alright." I tried to give her a smile but it came out uneasy. I knew she was drunk yesterday, so there isn't any ill-feelings. But it's still weird, I have to admit.

Especially with every in the room at the time….it's epically embarrassing.

She isn't my first kiss, that's for sure. And even if she was, I didn't give a thought into all this first kiss crap. If it happens, it happens you know? Why save it for the perfect someone or perfect moment? You never know when this perfect moment is, or who this perfect someone is if you tried to save and conserve everything and not give them a chance.

Ootori walked by then and I accidentally bumped into him. "Sorry, Ootori."

He rubbed the back of his head and smiled nervously. "I-It's alright, Marui-san." He shot me a weird look then, staring at me for several seconds before he pulled out of it and quickly made his way over to an empty seat.

I blinked after him cluelessly.

As I sat down, the silver-head was busy looking around, up and down the long oval table and brought up a very curious and pivotal question.

"Where's Ishimaru-san?"

Now that he mentioned it, I didn't see her all morning. "Isn't she in her room?" I asked.

Ootori shook his head. "No she wasn't. I checked. So I thought she might be here but…"

I stared at him. "You checked her room?" Shiraishi asked uncertainly, voicing what was in my head. Ootori turned red instantly and jumpily waved his hands about. "W-well, i-it's just that I w-was coming down s-so I t-thought t-that I s-should—"

I felt a sharp 'twack' over my head then and I turned away from the blushing man in front of me to angrily look up at the culprit. "Shishido!! What was that for?!"

Shishido placed his signature blue cap back onto his head with a huff (that was the criminal tool he used to hit me! I'm going to jinx it later…) and made his way to take a seat beside Ootori.

"Leave Choutarou alone. Geez, *_gekidasa daze_*." He crossed his arms and turned his head away from me, facing the side in his ever rebellious way.

"What?!" I was appalled. "But Shiraishi was the one who—"

"Hmm? What about me, Marui?" Shiraishi looked up from his plate with blank and wide eyes, playing innocent.

My eyebrow twitched. He was a fox in sheep's clothing alright.

"If you're wondering about Ishimaru-hime, she left already early this morning, when all of you are still snoring away." Atobe announced, stepping into the room and instantly pulling all our attentions on his proud figure.

"She left already? Whhhy?" Kintarou whined in his seat.

"And why cant she, Kin-chan? You wanted to confess to her or something?" Kenya teased the redhead who pouted at him.

"She promised to show me some of her paintings and take me to eat at the cake shop near her place!" He cried tearfully. Sheesh, are those the only reason why he's making such a fuss?

Shiraishi smiled at him and patted his head as if he was still a little boy (he still acted like one that's for sure). "I'll take you to see her next time, okay?"

How is he going to take him there if he doesn't have her addr—

"Oh, I got her number, so I can call her later. So don't worry, Kin-chan." Shiraishi assured him and instantly Kintarou brightened up and began stuffing pancakes into his mouth as if Doomsday was tomorrow.

The fork paused midway in its travel to my mouth, as I briefly wondered why is it that Shiraishi had her number? I soon dispelled the thought and devoured the blueberry pancake.

"Speaking of her number, Marui, deliver this to her later." Atobe threw something at me and I caught it.

It was Kumiko's handphone.

"Why is it here?" I stared incredulously at the machine in my hand. Kumiko didn't strike me as the forgetful type of person.

"The maids were washing her clothes yesterday, and they forgot to hand that to her as well. "Atobe explained, taking a seat himself.

"Oh…why do I have to send it back to her?" Why me…it's my day off.

"You're the only one here who knows where she lives."

Oh…wait a minute. "You know where she lives don't you Atobe?" I glared at my 'boss.'

"I have to go to a meeting later regarding several changes in Club Prism's work schedule. I don't have the time." Atobe dismissed me quickly and I pouted.

"Fine." I sighed dejectedly. I was planning to go downtown and buy some new cakes….eh, I guess I'll just get some at the bakery near Kumiko's place.

"Can…I go with you, Marui-kun?" Ruriko asked suddenly and I looked up from my plate in surprise. Before I can reply however, Atobe had cut in. "I think it's best if you went back to your home for now, Ishikawa-hime."

Ruriko casted a downcast and questioning gaze. "Why?"

"Your friends had called last night, asking of your whereabouts. They figured that you might be at Club Prism, and called into our private line. We had informed them you were here with us, but I still find it best if you went and see them to reassure your safety." Atobe brushed his bangs from his eyes and looked at Ruriko with a gracious but firm gaze.

Atobe made some sense there. Ruriko did come to Club Prism often, and her friends might not have known we were on break yesterday and thought she went there so they called to check up on her. That was nice of them. She must have been loved by them for them to do so.

"So Marui, I expect the phone to be delivered to Ishimaru-hime by nightfall. If not, I can imagine our storage's supply of confectioneries will drop a notch or two…" Atobe remarked offhandedly, swirling a glass of wine.

"Yes, yes." I rolled my eyes heavenward.

~***~

I kicked off my shoes and flipped on the light switch as soon as I entered my house.

With an angry pout, I dropped my stuffs on the floor, scattering them but I could hardly care right now. I'll pick them up later.

Passing by the tabletop where Nipoi's fish tank is placed, I stopped to feed the goldfish for a moment.

Pausing, I took a moment to admire its lithe form gliding through the clear waters, as the fish feed fell around him like snowflakes. The night Marui won this for me flashed through my mind and I frowned at the little fish.

It seemed to have felt my glare or something, for it quickly swam away from the glass pane. My eyes softened at this and I apologized to the fish. "Sorry, Nipoi-kun. It's not your fault."

Not his fault for what? That I'm angry?

Perhaps I'm angry that Marui won Nipoi not because he wanted to win it for me or anything, but because of his stupid competitive streak.

Stupid Marui.

Straightening back up, I moved to my bedroom to pack my stuffs for my classes tomorrow.

Settling down at my desk, I began to pick out the tools I needed putting them to one side in descending size order.

Then I picked out my pencils, arranging them in order of ascending darkness.

My fingers paused above the clutter of brushes, slothfully wondering if I need them tomorrow. I was about to pick it up when my finger pushed against it, and one rolled away, leaving a trail of deep maroon in its wake.

I retracted my fingers and went to packing my sketches.

One by one, I ordered my sketches and clipped them in between my folders.

The house, the room, the walls- everything- was silent.

So, so silent. It was downright scary. And I did shiver from the silence.

To think that, I used to love this silence. Right now though, it scared me.

I guess….the past few weeks, I just…didn't have enough silence in my life. The past few weeks had been filled with laughter, games, smiles, charms, Aya, Asuka, Yura, Rinko, grins, winks, hosts, friends…

My hands came across my mini mannequin which I used for posing.

I picked it up into my hands and dusted it off, examining it.

Its faceless face (hah, paradox) stared back into my most likely equally expressionless eyes. If it had eyes, I bet I could see my dark, dull ones reflected in them.

I put the mannequin aside, deciding to pack it into my bag last so that it won't get crushed. I pulled open my drawers to grab new papers that I will use tomorrow.

The silent room was filled with the sound of closing drawers- the friction of wood against wood. Angrily, I slammed the last drawer close, catching edges of paper in between them.

"Agh!" From impulse and pure surge of emotions, I swept my arm across the desk, clearing it and sending whatever that was on my near-empty desk to the floor.

My body went numb and dead as I just sat in my seat, unmoving, unflinching.

Anger, nostalgia, happiness, sadness…a whole spectrum of emotions was flooding through me and I hated it! I just felt so confused with all these different feelings swirling, like a whole muck up collage of emotions that you cant decipher.

I hated it.

Everything had always been so easy for me. There was this clear line where I go by and knew what I was doing and going to do with that clearly defined line.

It was a bold and dark line. Thick and wide enough for me to stand on; and understand, know where I was going, doing, thinking, feeling.

Now it was all mucked up.

I don't know what I'm thinking anymore (Marui, Ruriko, Nipoi, Yura, Aya, hosts, parents----)

I don't know what I should do now (Club Sacred, Prism, paint, classes, eat cakes, sleep, watch Nipoi----)

I don't know what I should feel right now rather than all this random crap of emotions (anger, sadness, nostalgia, contentment, hate---)

I raised my hand to gently slap my face, to wake me up; only to pull them away to find them slick and wet.

Sniff.

Great. Now what am I crying for?! I must be going insane or depressed.

"What's going on with me…?" My voice came out in short chokes, hiccups ruining my speech more than before. It didn't help that these salty streaks of water kept sliding across my lips.

I raised my eyes to look at the mannequin that lay motionless on the floor. Bending over, several drops of salty liquid falling on the ground, I picked it up and patted the doll like a mother would a baby.

"You're so l-lucky…" I whispered to it and placed it into my bag.

It doesn't feel anything. No hate or anger even after I sent it to the floor.

No pain or sadness.

No happiness or contentment.

I wish I was like it right now.

If I was, I wouldn't be so confused and lost as to what I am feeling and thinking. I was losing sight of that clear bold line.

It was classes, homework, work, parents, Aya, Yura, Asuka, Rinko, eat, sleep, classes, homework—rinse and repeat.

Now—classes, homework, hosts, obligations, Aya, Marui, painting, Shiraishi, Kajimoto, Prisma Festival, competition, exercise, eat, sleep, classes, Club Sacred, Club Prism, Yura, Marui, Nipoi, Ruriko, homework, Shibuya…

My line is mucked up with all these other little lines that are straying away from it, like loose lines in a sketch that strayed from the main picture.

I don't know what to do with them. My sketches and paintings always came out clearly defined and bolded; clean and simple.

I can't deal with all these messiness.

If I was like that mannequin, then I wouldn't stray from my previously defined line. Because I was solid and unchanging.

I wouldn't feel confused right now, nor angry.

I won't feel happy and feel loved over stupid little things.

I won't feel sad and worried.

A flicker of blue came into my sight and I frowned, picking up the culprit and throwing it into a drawer.

Last I saw before the drawer closed completely were fragile wings of a butterfly.

Slowly, my body slumped over into a hunch, coming to rest across the table top. My whole body shook with wracks of sobs of loss.

"I-I w-want…"

I want it all to go away.

The image of Ruriko kissing Marui flashed away as I wished.

But more than that, more than anything else-

I want to stop feeling so **_painfully _**in love.

* * *

***Gekidasa daze- Can be translated as "how lame." =D**

**Anyways, ever experienced the time where you just cant explain what you're doing and feeling anymore and you cry randomly and just breakdown at random times? I did before. Wasnt nice to just cry in public...but I tried to capture what I felt that time anyways and put them into Kumiko, since I didnt want to give her a clear definied vision of herself;D just to torture her more lulz....and give more drama x-x  
**

***waves to story summary* It clearly says: MaruiXOCXVarious XXD**

**Of COURSE there will be some random action or at least subtle hints between Kumiko and the others lololol xp; And a lot of people are taking a liking to ShiraishiXKumiko… rofl lmao. That's exactly how I feel. I feel almost tempted to veer this story off-course and away from Marui towards Shiraishi instead XXD; But young Marui kept my love for this tensai strong… xwx**

**Although I didn't actually mean for people to dislike Ruriko but it seemed most people did x_x aiyah. She was just a foil(ish) character for Kumiko XD; Who got drunk…..like really drunk? Does that make you like her more? D;**

**Thanks for the reviews guys!! OMG I got 12 reviews last chapter~ thats 2 more than the previous 10!! XD I know some people get like 80 reviews and whatnot in one chapter, but I'm happy already with just 1 review: one review telling me that they enjoy my writing, and having the numbers pile up from nothing to now just makes me really happy x3 Thank you alllllllll!! *bear hugs everyone* Imagine my joy just to see 12 reviews and not 1!! XD *ish easily pleased*I actually sit down regularly just to read through all the reviews I ever got haha xwx**

**Ponta Girl- haha I'd like a friend like Atobe too xD**

**Swayswaybaby-well, most people didnt get it so dont feel bad xD and its probably my own fault lol I didnt make it too defined Dx**

**Skull Rider- aww thank you x3 *hugs* I'm really glad you enjoy my story, and found it worthwhile to review =D**

**kuro-30fyre- hell, I dont blame you for being jealous. I'm jealous of my own OC x_X eh, and we'll see about how things go between her and the hosts for now :P People did suggest ShiraishiXKumiko before, and even AkayaXKumiko, and I actually am keen on those two pairings too haha so lets see what turns up lol**

**LadyLadington- haha Choutarou is sweet to everybody XD and he'd most likely pay a visit to Ruriko too honestly but the girl was dead drunk out of it XD I figured Choutarou wouldnt wanna disturb her haha And Kenya and Kumiko? I never thought about that really xD I figured they'd be more brother-sister XD Well, I said I wasnt going to tell what the secret message was but it had something to do with....you know what, never mind xD it's pointless anyways haha **

**SapphireBreeze19- hmm Shiraishi crush on Kumiko. I'm not too sure about that yet~ In fact, I dont know myself xD Lets see how they progress haha and Hidden message is....hidden xD**

**PhoenixRage92- I'd want my own benevolent snob friend too x_x its just brilliant having one =**

**Ami H- waah everyone hates Ruriko for some reason XD; but thank you!! *hugs* Glad you like this =D **

**Kouyan- how Marui feels? More shall be revealed later...I think? x-x**

**Emy- D:: omg I LOVE chuuuu! *tackle glomp* aww thats so sweet and nice and amazing of you to suggest this story to your friends!! T___T That's probably one of the most touching thing anyone has done for me, ever! T__T it makes me really happy to know that you found it worthy of your time and to even suggest it to your friends! thank you SO much!! *hugs***

**Bj in PJ's- XD aww it makes my heart happy to know that my story brightens your world XD and thank you!! *hug* Wow, I was pretty amazed and shocked to read that you dont read romance but is reading my story D: I feel so...I dont know what, but I just knw I'm all goopy and happy!! XXD *huuuug***

**MaruiBuntaWorshipper Fan- ahahaha you know, at first I thought that someone else had the same name as me and it took me a few seconds to realize your name meant that you were a "MaruiBuntaWorshipper" fan XXD *ish so slow in the head* but- aiyeeee XXD *gloooomps* I got myself a fan!!! I have done the impossible!! D8 thank you soo much for reading this and reviewing, despite it being suggested by a friend! = (I usually never read those suggested by friends...-bricked-) XD;  
**


	26. Fire And Ice

"_Fine Line"_

"_Fire (Desire) and Ice (Fear) are what will end a being."_

_Chapter 26: Fire and Ice_

~***~

Marui: cocky, arrogant, self-proclaimed genius, annoying.

Shiraishi: calm, considerate, kind, wise.

I had absolutely no reason to like Marui. I had a lot to like Shiraishi, excluding the fact he took my first-kiss (unintentionally).

So it must have been Shiraishi that I was feeling this weird-tangy-fluffy-sticky-thing for. Not Marui.

Why was I crying so unreasonably then, when I saw that incident involving him and Ruriko? Why did I cringe every time I see red right now? I could only think that I was going into depression of some sort (they did always say with my lack of a social life, I'd go depress one day...), or I was going insane, but I didn't want to think that either was true.

It was unreasonable, for me to feel this way. Not at this time anyway.

I always thought-believed- that the person I would come to love and care for, would be someone mature and caring, someone whom I will have known for a long time (unlikely considering my social life streak); someone who is stable in his ambitions, occupation and everything else.

And a host certainly did not fit those criteria in my mind's eye.

….maybe Shiraishi could fit it.

But Marui? No, not Marui. Nuh-uh.

I splashed cold water over my face, trying to ease my sore eyes which are red and swollen at the moment.

What did Marui ever do to deserve my feelings?

Other than the fact he readily and quickly helped me fit into the setting on the night of my birthday party a long time ago _(even if I was quite cold to him…),_ had helped me and the others find seats at the Prisma Festival _(even if we didn't ask),_ asked me to be his Princess during Hime-sama Douchu_ (despite all the other brilliant girls there_), had won me Nipoi-kun _(even if he his pride was on the line)_, got me the butterfly clip _(although I didn't ask for one),_ he helped me get the kimono _(even if he was really busy)_, he made me realize I could dance if I tried _(even though he must have looked stupid trying to dance with me)_, he got me more of my desired cake _(when he could have eaten it off himself),_ he made an effort to be gracious to me as a host _(although I was reluctant and cold that night)_, he had helped me clear my mind and thoughts regarding my painting _(when he could have just ,passed me off as another failing college student)_…

That was all Marui ever did.

To think that I would be so easily impressed by someone like him, thinking he's better than everyone else, and his stupid good-looks…

The doorbell rang then and I went to answer it.

Rubbing my eyes, I tried to make myself as presentable as possible, and hopefully not give away the fact that I had been crying. If I get busted, I didn't have a good explanation as to why I was.

I didn't know myself.

I just know that it was a foreign feeling doing this to me, and I disliked it.

Maybe even feared it. I never did like the unknown.

Steeling myself, I took a deep breath and pulled open the door- and blinked in surprise at who was on the other side.

~***~

My fingers tapped impatiently against the wheel as I awaited for the red light to turn green. I grumpily cursed Atobe in my mind.

Why couldn't I have delivered it tomorrow instead of today…it's an off-day today! I'd rather deliver it to her tomorrow since I would be able to skip an hour or two of work but…guess Atobe saw right through that with his 'insight'.

It was unusual really (I think), for Kumiko to forget something. She really didn't strike me as the type to be forgetful. She was more like one of those class reps people, at least that's what I think.

My eye shifted to the left, where her phone rested in the passenger seat, looking all lost and alone without its master. Eh, it'll get back to her soon enough- as long as this light turns green!!!

…it finally did.

Driving along the road like a perfectly good citizen, I looked around for the street to Kumiko's house. Atobe was at least nice enough to drop me off at a train station first, so I can get back to my own home and get my car. It has finally been repaired, since the Akaya fiasco. I'm never lending my car out again.

Rolling down the window, I allowed the air from outside to cool me rather than the aircond. It was a little smoggy in this city, but it wasn't so bad I supposed. I could tolerate it, as the wind against my skin is a really refreshing feeling which I enjoyed very much. I guess that's one benefit about my heading to Kumiko's house, other than having a good excuse to buy cakes at the bakery nearby there.

Speaking of food…Kumiko left pretty early yesterday night. Was the 'fake wine' she was having really that strong? I didn't think so…I felt like I was drinking plum juice instead of wine when I first drank that. Maybe it was just the difference in alcohol tolerance.

But then, even Ootori doesn't drink it and took white wine instead yesterday, and that man steers clear of alcohol most of the time. It's like that drink was some sort of all-female drink- with the exception of Kintarou.

But eh, he's just a kid.

Thinking of yesterday now always brings my mind back to the time when Ruriko, her face completely red and downright drunk, suddenly came up to me and kissed me. It was quite embarrassing, to say the least. Like, everyone was watching!

Shiraishi, Atobe, Ootori, Shishido, Kintarou (not too sure about him…he was half-asleep), Oshitari, Gakuto (Oh god, he's never going to let me live it down), Kenya, and even Kumiko….who, left right after that incident.

And I guess I kind of appreciated that; she didn't stick around to poke fun at me, unlike Kenya and Gakuto, and even Shishido! And I don't want to get into Oshitari's case. I felt like flinging my tiramisu across the table at him. Damn him and his stupid romance novels.

Ruriko was definitely really sorry about it this morning, she just kept on apologizing. I felt bad too, since I didn't know how to make her feel better; I mean, I already told her it was alright! But she just seemed to have taken the incident to heart.

It's not like I was a girl who lost her first kiss or anything…

Which Kumiko was.

Huh, I wonder how she felt about that, losing her first kiss to Shiraishi. She didn't react violently or become jumpy or anxious; Ruriko became quite anxious and jumpy though.

Kumiko's….really kind of cold sometimes.

Perhaps too cold.

She should at least have had some sort of response to Shiraishi taking her first kiss, even though it was to save her life. If I were her, I'd maybe blow a top or two before saying thanks…

Wow, we're like fire and ice or something.

She'd be the ice, definitely.

I'd be the fire. I like the adventurous and dangerous side of things; being different and standing out. I **want** to be able to do and go as I wish.

Kumiko didn't though, I believe. She seems more of the one who has a steady life and schedule, something which she goes by and live by everyday; remaining solid and unmoving like ice.

Or in other words, she follows this straight line ahead and ahead, on and on. Never straying out of it.

I don't know how she does it though. I wouldn't be able to take it.

I'd have veered off-course instantly, becoming this stray and delinquent line.

My car rolled to a stop in a parking spot at the back of Kumiko's apartment building. Putting out the engine, I stepped out and headed towards the front doors, not before locking my car of course.

Taking the elevator, I soon arrived at the floor where her apartment room is located. Locating it, I rang the doorbell.

~***~

I was greeted by Aya's bright face, Yura's ever-sweet face, and Kikumaru Eiji's cattish grin.

I blinked rapidly at the trio at my doorstep, completely not expecting them. I was thinking the mailman or something…

Yura blinked suddenly, and stepped forward. "Kumiko-chan…are you cryin-"

"No! N-no, I'm not crying. W-what makes you say that?"

"……." The three stared at me blankly.

"You're a terrible liar Kumiko-chan…" Kikumaru started, sighing.

"Who was it!?!! Who was it that did this to you!?" Aya screamed, lunging at me and I screamed in turn and ducked. Honestly, I know Aya is trying to comfort and help me right now, but right now, I think she's the one who's making me cry.

"N-no one did!"

_Marui did._

"I was just upset at my bad grades from before…Mum and dad aren't too pleased." Let them buy the lie, please.

Aya and Kikumaru seemed to have bought it. Right now at least, probably cause they are in each other's presence and are too 'deep in love' to actually be as sharp as they normally are. Yura on the other hand…

I cleared my throat, grabbing the attention of Aya and Kikumaru who were helping themselves to the sweets on the coffee table, and Yura who was just standing around aimlessly. "Why are you guys here?"

"Hellloooo, it's the weekend! Saturday!!" Aya cheered, and quickly made her way over to me. "We're going to hang out of course!"

"……" I turned to look at Yura. Her of all people, I did not expect to come here for such a reason. I thought she'd be home studying or something rather than…hang out.

Aya frowned at my expression. "Kumiko-chan, we hardly spent time together lately-"

"I just saw you 2 days ago."

"That's too long ago. Besides, Kikumaru hasn't seen you inawhile-"

"I thought you were protective of your boyfriend."

"I trust you not to steal him from me. So anyways, we're heading out now and you're coming." She grinned, and so did Kikumaru. They were….one of a kind. And its not like I could steal Kikumaru from Aya even if I wanted to. Who would choose a girl like me over Aya anyways?

If she was the light, I was the shadow. At least, that's how I perceive our friendship.

I was the shadow that stuck to the light.

And for that, I will always cherish and appreciate Aya, for allowing me to be her shadow.

So it was as usual, even if I was reluctant to go, like the shadow that stayed glue to the ground behind as the light moved forward, I changed and went out with them, taking Kikumaru's car.

Aya sat at the passenger seat, whilst Kikumaru drove, leaving me with Yura in the backseat.

Kikumaru and Aya were busy cracking jokes and just fawning over each other at the front, while I and Yura just sat quietly in the back. If an outsider looked at us right now, they wouldn't even think that Yura is a dear friend to me, and think she's a stranger to me instead.

Something caught my eye, and I looked to my side to find a brochure of some sort sticking out of Yura's handbag. My eyes blinked rapidly and incredulously.

Did that thing say Club Prism something something?

My hand reached out to it, and just barely grazed it before Yura lifted her bag away from me.

I stared at Yura sheepishly. "Umm…"

Yura shook her head disapprovingly. "Private property, Kumiko-chan. Didn't Aunt Ishimaru ever taught you not to touch things that aren't yours?" She reprimanded, but with a friendly tone.

I blushed and looked away. "Sorry. I just thought I saw something…"

"Hmm, really? What?" She asked off-handedly.

"Club Prism."

There was a pause in between us.

"Club Prism?" Her voice revealed her surprise and pure naivety.

I sighed mentally. It must just be me and my experience yesterday night; it was effecting my mental state and vision (lack of sleep, perhaps?). Why would Yura ever have something to do with Club Prism with her? She didn't exactly take to host clubs well, as she had told me before.

Kikumaru drove us to a common teen and young adults hang-out, where most from our university lurked and had fun during the weekends and after classes hours. Many faces we passed as we walked by were familiar to me; most of them from my university and one or two from my classes.

I just tagged along wherever they went, not really having a specific goal or destination in mind here. There wasn't much that I desired or needed from this place right now. Aya wanted to go shopping, and shopping it is we did. Kikumaru wanted to check out the pets shop and that is what we did. Yura just ambled to the bookshop, and grabbed a book randomly off the shelf before leaving.

"Ah! That's my piece of dango!!" Kikumaru pouted when Aya ate his dango.

She stuck her tongue out at him."Hehe~ You should protect your food!"

Kikumaru pouted before swiftly snagging Aya's drink. "Hey!!" She cried indignantly. He merely flicked her the victory sign –_just like Marui_- before drinking half of it.

The two were like that every time; merely having fun and appreciating each other's presence. I envied them sometimes, when I watched them.

I always felt that Aya was closer to Kikumaru than she was to me. And it was probably true.

I don't know…I didn't have too much experience with the opposite sex to really know anyways. But I always felt that, there are some things special which you can only share with your beloved, and not even your best friend.

It's similar to how there are some things you would share only with your friends and not your family.

Watching them being so close to each, loving each other so much (even if Aya attends host clubs)…it kinda makes me wish that I wasn't so damn scared and shy.

If I weren't then, perhaps even I could engage in a relationship like that.

But nooo…I always stiffen up and stutter up whenever a remotely decent guy talks to me or even looks at me, that is, if I even know he's looking since I cant seem to look at a guy in the face.

….It was different maybe, with the hosts though. I _did_ manage to look at them straight in the face and talk…for some of them at least (these men were too beautiful for their own good. I felt inferior next to them).

But I knew that even if I happened to suddenly take interest in any of them and want to engage in a relationship of some sort with them, it wasn't possible.

_They were hosts._

And that made all the difference in the world.

They were trained to impress and make girls adore them. I wouldn't be able to tell if their feelings for me were sincere or not, if I were to have one of them as my companion. Would I be able to tell, if they truly loved me, or were they just playing me into their fingers? They were trained to charm, seduce and make women feel loved after all.

It'd be a risky ordeal, to love a host.

That's…if I ever loved at all.

I can't count how many heartbreaks I've seen back during my middle school days, high school days and even now in university. One of the participants in the relationship will get hurt one way or another; girl or boy…maybe even both.

After all, a love relationship isn't resistant to Murphy's Law: what can go wrong, will go wrong.

And I don't think I can handle another heartbreak in my life [1]. It didn't seem all too pleasant, and I don't imagine it will be. I mean, I can't even handle my daily schedule running differently from usual!

Even Aya and Kikumaru, who were laughing with each other without a care in the world _(I had never noticed how similar Kikumaru's hair was with Marui's…)_, may possibly run into a stray stone in their path.

And that stray stone just might make them trip over one another.

I guess I'm too cowardly, to take on something new. To face something new and to experience something new. I know what I'm weak at and what I'm strong at. And I know that, I might not be able to pick myself up again.

But a little part of my heart, not my mind, nagged at me, constantly whispering:

"_But wouldn't it be worth it, the heartbreak and pain, to experience one of the greatest joys in the world? The joy of loving someone and loving in return?"_

I suppose my heart did not agree with my mind that loving a cat is the same as loving a person.

Sigh…I really did miss Sushi, my old cat, though_…._sad it had to die a few years ago.

I think that was my first heartbreak.

And it felt as if the whole world suddenly dropped dead with it.

* * *

** 1) Another heartbreak, because Sushi is her first heartbreak ;D**

**Hum. I think Kumiko is going through denial now? ..I dunnoe xD**

**Wassuuuup 150 revieeews!? Woooot!**

**Thank you, all of youuuuu~!!! 3 And to those who watch and fave this story! I never imagined it'll make it this far haha I still wake up and see the sheer positive reviews and response to my story and go "blink, blink" XD**

**LadyLadington- Marui HAVE to follow suit xD or this wouldnt be a very nice MaruiOC story D; lol I guess I didnt do very well on capturing her feelings D; you didnt sound convinced XD but eh, it was weird...and I never wrote romance before so...FL is the furthest I ever got for a romance story; the rest stopped before the real romance ever set in ._.**

**PhoenixRage92- I dont know if the subbed ones are out yet D; I usually never check _; Since I can watch in raw D: and yea, I'll continue Love Story when this is finish XD Though I might focus on my other stories first (ie Conquering Dawn and TTTC). Getting a bit tired of writing PoT lol xD and your reviews are alright haha XD and really? ._. I couldnt even tell you didnt learn english as a first language x_X**

**Kouyan- IF he sees her...kufufufu~-bricked-**

**Bj in Pj's- boys are dense in everything, psh. I hardly write romance too XD Maybe a few one-shots here and there with fluff, but thats it D; I never tried to write a serious romance story before until this XD I'm trying to make it light-hearted and yet serious at the same time haha OTL**

**Skull Rider-XXD :hug: I dont think my writing could ever impact anyone, but thank you XXD**

**Emy- of course I'm happy haha I mean, I dont even suggest this story to my OWN friends XD *too ashamed to show them* lol**

**Ami H- aww I'm glad to hear your younger sister likes my story too haha XD is it like reading Cinderella to her or something? XD; Tell her that I said I appreciate it a lot that she enjoys my story :3**

**Rin- lol are you the same Rin that I know and talk to on msn? D; if you're not, ignore that XD but thank you and sorry, for making you not study instead D: and your review aint crap! no reviews ever are! D: I read all reviews and take to heart whatever the reviewers say D; so no matter how short or long, all reviews are appreciated and never crap! Since they allow me to know what people feel about my story, and it always makes me happy to know people likes it =D**

**MaruiBuntaWorshipper Fan- XXD aww why were you grounded? D: and yes, Sanada should go hatless XD even if I'm not a Sanada fan haha but thank you XD The story and title...it just happened, really XD it was not originally intended XD**

**Juunin- maaybe? XD just any hosts really haha its fanservice for all XD**


	27. Uncertainties

"_Fine Line"_

"_Certainty is the mother of quiet and repose, and uncertainty the cause of variance and contentions" –Edward Cokes_

_Chapter 27:__ Uncertainties_

~***~

"Ahn? You still have her phone?"

"….yes?"

"And why is that?"

"She wasn't home when I went there the other day."

"Ore-sama demands you go and return it right now."

I, Marui Bunta, will flip if she isn't home again today.

Atobe had cancelled all my appointments for today and moved them to another date (much to the despair of my customers of course), and made me drive all the way to Kumiko's house again just to return her cell phone.

I didn't really mind, since I was allowed to get off work 4 hours early due to this. He said I didn't need to go back after returning it, since it'll be redundant due to the little time left, and not much can be profited from my being there.

Tch. It's like he's saying I wasn't worth much to the Club Prism or something. Well, he and I both knew I'm one of the top 10 most demanded hosts, so it's needless to say that I am valuable to Club Prism.

Well, I really do hope Kumiko is home this time. I don't really feel like driving down all the way here again just to find she isn't home, and then forced to drive down here again just to return a _damn_ cell phone.

Parking my car, I made my way up the apartment till I arrived at her door.

The moment of truth; I rang the bell again.

……….

………….

……………..

…………………

…………………….

Is it just me, or is there a feeling of déjà vu here?

I groaned in frustration. "Great, she isn't ho-" The door opened right at that moment, and wide- Confused? Angry? Hateful? Shocked?- eyes stared at me.

"Yo-" She slammed the door in my face.

…….What the hell?

~***~

Why in Michelangelo's name is **he** here?!

Its been two days since that Ruriko-Marui incident. And for two days I was feeling fine since my return home and breakdown.

I actually forgot about the incident and everything.

And then I answered the door seconds ago, just to find his deceiving –beautiful- eyes staring at me and then that unexplainable anguish and anger towards him which gave me a sense of déjà vu just flooded back into me and—!!! ………oh my god…did I slam the door in his face?

I squeaked and jumped in my spot when the bell rang again, more fervently this time. It just kept ranging and ranging and I just knew that the person doing it wasn't too happy.

I wouldn't be happy too if I got a door slammed into my face when visiting someone else's home; speaking of which, why is **he** here?

Steeling myself, I turned around to open the door, preparing myself to apologize for my rude behavior (I can't help it. I was taught to be polite…My mum spanked me when I was a kid if I wasn't) and have him off as quickly as possible.

Slowly, I pulled the door open an inch and peered out. Angry lavender focused on me.

~***~

Despite myself, I could not help but snap when doe-brown eyes made themselves visible from behind the door. "What the hell was that for?!!"

She seemed to winced from the tone of my voice, and with great reluctance, and because of my status as a host, I forced myself to calm down and to be more…gentlemanly. If Atobe found out I was being rude, immature, and basically everything that a well-trained host isn't supposed to be, he'd have my head for sure. And although I know Kumiko to be a nice girl, she might tell Aya or Asuka about me (girls gossip, right?) and I wont count on those two to keep their mouths shut and not tattle to Atobe, or worse, Yukimura…

Kumiko refused to look me in the eye for some reason; I can't tell if it's because she was embarrassed or ashamed of what she just did. But she apologized nonetheless, in a very soft voice. "Sorry..."

I crossed my arm and frowned. "I came all the way here today to return your cell phone which you left at Atobe's house the other day, and even came two days ago as well but you weren't home, and I get the door slammed into my face! You had better be sorry." I grounded out, still miffed.

She retreated back behind the door more, and still refused to look me into the eye. "Sorry…I was just…"

"Just?" I tapped my foot impatiently against the ground. I wanted a good reason as to why I deserved that.

"…..nothing."

"……………" I stared blankly at her.

"….can I have my cell phone back…?" She asked meekly, eyes still refusing to meet mine.

I reached into my pant pocket and extracted the cell, reaching it out to her. But as soon as her hand emerged from behind the door to get her phone, I pulled it back to myself.

"Not until you tell me what's wrong."

"…I said nothing was wro-"

"I dare you to look me in the eye and say it."

She didn't.

Right now, she was probably thinking I was some sort of evil pseudo-host. But I didn't exactly appreciate how my efforts to return her cell were rewarded. I was lucky to be an inch away from the door or that thing would have flattened my nose! Just because I was to be charming and sweet towards female doesn't mean I couldn't take a stand. If that was the case, chivalry would be dead because women would kill it, seeing as men are not fighting back.

It's a case of defending the male chauvinism!

….well, sort of. Not really.

~***~

By the heavens, he is such a---!!!

I wanted to curse his name so bad, but I don't really curse…

Agh!! Come on Kumiko!

You need that phone! You had searched for it the past two days to no avail, and here it is again! You need it back, or mum and dad will have your head for sure!!

So just…do what he says and take it back! It's not like you're hiding anything from him or guilty of anything, so you had no need to be afraid of looking him straight in the eye!!

_Maybe you can just straight out take it instead? Who says you need to listen to what men say?_

A little voice somewhere whispered to me, creeping myself out effectively.

Putting that aside though…I do need that phone. My parents will call me through that, and it was one of my only other options of making calls when not home.

With much effort, I willed my eyeballs to move to look at him. As soon as brilliant lavender made themselves known to my irises, they are turned back onto the grey floor instead.

It repeated several times.

I tried to look, but I would quickly look away again.

What happened to those times that I could actually speak whilst looking at him directly in the eye?

What happened?

Right now, I'm back to square one. The moment I first met these people, these hosts. When I first met Marui Bunta. I could hardly keep eye contact for 1 second back then.

And then, I grew (slightly?) more confident. I came to know them a bit more and interacted with them a bit more. I wasn't so much of a social mess as I was before them.

But now…

Why can't I just look him in the eye and tell him what I want to say? [1]

~***~

It was getting slightly annoying. Her constant shifting eyes, from me to the floor and back to me then the floor again.

What is wrong with her? Did she do something wrong? Or rather, did **I** do something wrong?

Why couldn't she just look at me and speak? She had no problems of doing that before- not counting our first few meetings.

Frowning, I gave her a long hard glance, bending to try and peer at her face. But she turned further away.

….did she look thinner since two days ago?

No she wasn't thinner…

My eyes trailed down her length, from top to toe, and although I confirmed she wasn't any skinnier, but she did look paler than usual.

"Hey…you alright?"

"H-huh? Yea…I'm fine." Again she did not look at me, though she was close to it, having been startled out of her own silence.

"……..Alright then." I reached her phone out to her again. "Here's your phone."

"Huh?"

"If you don't want it, I'll gladly take it-"

"No I want it." Hastily, she took it back and pocketed it. "…thank you."

"Right. No problem."

"………"

"………"

Jeez. This was awkward for some reason. This Kumiko was much more reclusive than usual. Usually, even if she didn't look at us when speaking, at least she spoke. This one seemed reluctant to speak.

"Hey….you hungry?" I asked suddenly.

"Hun..gry?"

"Yea, you know, when your stomach growls and you feel lethargic because you don't have anything in there-"

"I know what hungry is." She snapped softly at me instantly, brow eyes glaring at mine.

Well hey, she finally looked—scratch that. She's away again.

"Uh huh. And remember when you paid for my sweets last time?" She nodded. "Well, I still owe you. So I'll treat you."

"….w-what?"

"I said I'll treat you." I repeated with a roll of my eyes.

"I-I know what you said!" Slowly but surely, she was going back to her old stuttering mess of a chatter box.

"Get dressed and let's get going then!!" I crossed my arm, giving her a small smirk.

"………"

I blinked when light pink suddenly dusted her cheeks. Then I blinked again when I realized why.

"I-it's not a date-!" I huffed, waving my hand in the air airily.

"…Yea, of course n-not." She stuttered, pink growing more prominent.

"Right-o~" I whistled, trying to ease the suddenly tense atmosphere. It was thoroughly awkward just now. It sounded as if I was telling her that she was a terrible girl and I would never date her, ever, or something.

"I'll….go get changed...then?" She said, not even sure herself whether it was a statement or a question.

"Alright. I'll wait here."

She closed the door again, softly this time, and I could lightly hear her feet thudding away behind on the floor.

I turned away from her door and leaned against the cement railing of her apartment floor instead. The sun was just starting to set, heading into liminality and then letting into play a new night.

Speaking with Kumiko just now, almost felt as if I was getting to know her from square one again.

No…in fact, almost every time I see her, it's like…getting to know her anew again. Just like how a new day and a new night begins again every single day.

It was just like that with Kumiko.

It's as if overnight, she'd have forgotten or packed away whatever she did the previous day, and all her relationships and affinities with people will be reset to zero again.

It's like that girl in that one show…what was it?…that American movie…Oh yea! 50 First Dates! Yea…it was just like that. The heroine in there would just forget all her memories from the day before.

I could hardly understand how her friends, especially Aya, maintained a relationship with her.

With a personality like that, it's not a surprise that she's such a hermit.

Probably the reason why she doesn't have a boyfriend either…

Wait a minute, does she have one?

I never asked or thought about that before. She always just came off as a closed person, so the idea that she wouldn't have a boyfriend just kind of…set itself in. But that's not to say it was not possible for her to have a boyfriend.

I heard the door open behind me, and as I turned around to face her, the question that was in my head just fired itself from my mouth subconsciously. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

She stared at me, in complete shock, surprise and confusion.

"Ummm….no?"

"Oh..okay. I thought you did." I actually wanted to say "thought so", but that was wholly rude.

But the confirmed knowledge that she doesn't have a boyfriend, for some reason, just made me a teeny weensy itty bitty bit happy.

I related that to having another one of my great hunches and theories being right, and nothing else.

* * *

**1. Hmmm double meaning here, perhaps? =D**

**Lol I just love to make all the small little details between everything. And here we kinda broached the subject of men and women, feminism and male chauvinism XD I didn't wanna use patriarchy… lol the term Men and Women in my summary sorta making sense now? Yes? X-x The others probably will come into play as well if they haven't already… kufufufuf -bricked-**

**ANYWAAAAAAAAAAYS! NEXT CHAPTER!! IT'S A DATE- I mean..- IT'S A (NOT) DATE WITH MARUI BUNTA FOR KUMIKOOOOOOO~!!!**

**Hhmhmhm…what should happen? What should they do? Where should they go? Any requests or desires you want to be fulfilled? Tell me in a review and I shall see if I can implement it…of course, taking into account that it is wholly reasonable within the context of the story and such. Like…you cant possibly ask for sex….cause they aren't going to do that (what with their current standing with each other…), and Kumiko will just think of it as raepe, and Marui is much too nice to do that at this point in time, and I don't think I can write smut. Period.**

…**.Did I turn any of you guys off with the prospect of not having any of those smutty things in here? D; Cause I can go read some to learn if you guys wish it…x-x -OH MY VIRGIN EYES-!!THEY BUUUUURN—bricked- **

**Maybe. Maybe not. We'll see…….I'll shut up now.**

…**Reviews? x_X;**

**Oh-oh!! –shot for not shutting up- Do you guys actually read the quotes I put at the beginning of each chapter? =0 Just curious…usually they have something to do with the chapter they are assigned to, and if you can actually figured out what it has to do with the chapter, it'll actually bring to light more of things about Kumiko, Marui, the story in general, which I don't put into words XD I like to leave some parts of my stories a bit free end, to allow for readers to interpret =D like the little actions they do, a certain stray glance etc Some of the quotes came from myself, some from others (which then I usually put their names after.) **

**Well, I'll shut up for real now.**

**kuro30-fyre- lol it certainly didnt come out right XD; Sushi's actually the name of my dog...x-x**

**Skull Rider- =D *pats* there's not much to cry over ^_^; things will get better soon...I think.**

**Kouyan- lool too bad XD **

**LadyLadington- Dx I'm so sorry D: I understand that my story gets annoying sometimes, especially with the lack of interactions x_X; (I wouldnt read my own story, shiz lol X_X) Well, there's the NOT-date next chapter, so request something (reasonable pls?) for me to make up to you ^^;**

**Emy- =D thank you xD**

**PhoenixRage92- lol I used Sushi, her cat, just to show how much a cat's death did to if it was from a loved one D: I like Shiraishi a lot too, but I cant decide it ifs more than Marui D; And Kajimoto too...well, seeing as I play Kajimoto in the Tenipuri Dream family on DA lol xD; Well, at least those fics where they fall in love actually HAVE some sort of fluff and action in it...mine's so bland lulz XD;  
**


	28. The NotDate Date

"_Fine Line"_

"_And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." __–Anais Nin  
_

_Chapter 28: The Not-Date Date_

_~***~_

I didn't know what it was that made my mouth run and say I'd go change. I could have easily said no, I was busy, shut the door on his face and returned to my painting.

But for some reason, I didn't do those things at that time; and instead, I found his offer of repaying me back tempting. I wondered if it's because I hadn't ate anything since breakfast, and am currently starving like nuts? Or perhaps it's because it's the prospect of free food? Well…technically it isn't free since I did dish out money for him before, and now he's returning the favor through dinner.

Maybe it was just that the paint in my own room was starting to suffocate me with their constant company. I guess I just wanted some sort of real human company at the time. I mean, I know I'm the one who refuses and is always reluctant to hang out or go to parties, but then, what human can possibly spend their whole life in solitude? I know that...I can't, even if I want to. I just start to miss the sounds and voices of people mingling and talking if I tried. Maybe that's why I try so hard sometimes to keep Aya and the rest around, because I know that if I lost them, I'd be struggling and suffering for the remainder of my life trying to get friends. So I wanted to keep them around, keep them as my friends- that way, I wont have to find new ones, and so I know there will always be someone out there I can turn to if I felt lonely.

A sigh escaped my lips and I saw Marui raise an eyebrow at me from the driver's seat through the side mirrors.

"What's up?" He asked, blowing a bubble and training his eyes on the road once again.

Shaking my head, I forced a smile. "Nothing."

"That's what you said just now too." He commented dryly.

"That's because there really isn't anything wrong!" I grounded out and sunk back into my seat, sulking.

A pop. "Right. I believe you." Obviously he didn't, what with his sarcastic tone.

I ignored him and faced out the window again, watching the city pass by. I didn't know where he was taking me, and I didn't really care at the moment. So long as I got back home in one piece. I had a lot of work to do for my course at college as usual, seeing as it was an art course and we were required to finish a minimum amount of paintings every week. But I was a bit tired of locking myself in my house and needed to get out. I guess Marui came about at the right moment, and returned my phone to boot.

…Perhaps my imaginary world was starting to bore me a little.

Before ever heading to Club Prism, the worlds that I imagined and painted always had everything I ever wanted and need; because they were the creation of my hearts deepest wishes.

But then there was Club Prism and Club Sacred with all their charming and quirky hosts, then Prisma Festival with its great festivities and wondrous activities and many other small moments with the people that I've met the past weeks and month (which is more than the number of people I knew in middle school and high school together!). All this exposure to what life can give me, to what _reality_ can give me; it had slowly started to ebb away the great contentment which I find in the comforts of my mind.

I felt as if everything was starting to change for me- _within_ me.

And I don't know if I like the change.

"We're here." I was pulled out of my thoughts when Marui spoke, and I stared out the window on his side, glancing up at a—

"Nikko Hotel?!"

~***~

Go figure.

I should have guessed at some point that this man's hobby was visiting hotel buffets.

But even so, driving all the way here to this hotel- which is no ram shackle off the street slop of a hotel- just to eat their buffet for dinner was too much. Not only is it expensive, but its also located quite far out from my home, and smacked right dab in the center of the city with all its congestion and night pedestrians.

My eye twitched as I watched Marui finish his 3rd plate, stuffed pile high with food. I was only on my first!

"Do you even chew…?" I asked with a bit of annoyance leaking into my voice.

His eyes narrowed at me in an almost condescending way, and he waved his fork –which was stabbing a piece of well-grilled salmon- in front of my face. "You think I'd still be breathing if I didn't? I'd have choked~!"

"……you don't look like you chew."

"Hey, a man needs his calories~" He hummed before ridding the fork of its salmon.

"…..right." I never questioned his fast eating habits anymore after that, figuring that he'd give me some sort of explanation which would never make sense to me. Ever.

I thought that we'd end up eating at a simple restaurant or something, with an appetizer, or just a main course then dessert and we're off. But nooo, we're at a buffet. And this was Marui we're talking about. I'm not surprised if the buffet owner cried tonight from the loss of revenue, courtesy of Marui's excessive consumption. It's a wonder how he never gets fat. I wonder if he works out, or just have a very high rate of metabolism.

I was pretty much full when I finished my second plate of food, but Marui still has space for a fifth serving. I could not help but watch in amazement as he wiped all his plates clean, at a frightening pace to boot, and still look refined doing it.

The Gods aren't fair with how they distribute good points to people obviously…

I sipped at my watermelon juice (Wow, watermelons don't come cheap here…and they made juice out of it…) and sulked. I must be near my time of the month or something, as I noticed I was really broody as of late.

I noticed a lot of girls, teens and young adults, who are here with their families or rich boyfriends, staring at our table. I figured it out all too quickly that it was because of the man sitting across from me.

I lost count of how many girls I've caught sneaking glances at the redhead and then quickly looking away again when someone at their table spoke, or to try and avoid detection by their sharp-eyed mothers.

Usually a girl would feel proud if her date was receiving so much detention, albeit inconspicuous. But I only felt a small twinge of anger the first few times I caught it, then nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

It wasn't as if Marui is my boyfriend or anything; and we're not on a date. So there was nothing for me to be proud of. We're just here cause he wanted to return the favor. And I don't think I feel _that_ way towards Marui so strongly…

There was something there, I know for sure now. The first time I felt it- when Ruriko kissed him- I was scared and confused. Scared because I never actually felt like this about a male before. Scared because I didn't know what I should do about it, or how I should react. Confused because I could not find a strong enough of a reason for me to like Marui. My heart might have made a small and minimal jump upon seeing him at the door, and I might have overreacted due to my sudden racing mind and slammed the door in his face, but it was a passing crush, definitely.

He had been an overall sweet and nice guy, towards me and others. Towards, Aya, Asuka, Rinko, Yura…and even Ruriko! Maaaaybe he **was** a little mean to Kirihara, but I'm sure he was doing it out of jest and cause he has the seniority rights.

But Kirihara was a guy.

I was a girl. And so were the many other people he was nice to.

And he was a host.

That's where the confusion started.

~***~

I looked up from my food to find Kumiko staring off to the side, chin propped on her open palm, lost in her thoughts.

She seemed to be thinking a lot today for some reason.

And she keeps telling me that nothing is wrong. Obviously something is. I know her silence enough (heck, she's quiet most of the time) to know what kind of a look she has when she's just daydreaming or not paying attention, or when she's deep in thought. Like now.

…..people might say its creepy how I notice these things but hey, I'm a host and a damn good athlete. I got a sharp eye and sense! And it was because of this that today, when I returned her cell to her, I felt that she needed to get out of that house (who knows how long she's been locking herself in there!). She just looked…extremely glum and pale (probably lack of sunlight), standing at the door with her equally near-dead eyes blinking away from me. I felt that it was the right time to repay her, and at the same time save her from her own self-imposed agony; killing two birds with one stone! Genius, isn't it?

She blinked out of her reverie suddenly, and shifted to look at me.

It looked as if she wanted to say something, but hesitance was scrawled all across her face. She's so easy to read, like an elementary school book.

I sighed and waved my spoon in a circle lazily (I was currently contenting myself with crabmeat soup). "Just say it."

She bit her lip once, looking down at her plate before glancing back up at me from beneath shadowed eyes.

"Have you ever…." She trailed off.

"Ever?"

"….ever liked…one of your customers before?" She asked timidly and I blinked.

That was…unexpected.

"Umm…well, they are mostly nice people and all-" I began but she cut me off.

"No- as in, "like" like."

Oh…that "like" like.

I scratched the back of my head in slight relief and awkwardness. Well, the answer to that is simple, really.

"It's against company rules for us to engage in anything more than friendship with our customers."

It didn't matter what we did with them, just like what Niou is doing as a Night Lover type.

As long as we kept our feelings out of it.

That's what all those training we had before being initiated as a Club Prism host was for.

~***~

Huh…figures that they'd have a rule like that.

I guess…that would make things easier for me then:

_There will never be a Marui Bunta and me._

If I told myself that, and knew that it was true (especially with that rule), then perhaps, this alien feeling would disappear in time.

I was sure of it.

And because I was so sure, my face brightened up considerably that Marui blinked at me in suspicion and surprise.

"What are you smiling about?" He asked me suspiciously.

I must have been very gloomy that night for him to regard me with such suspicion just for smiling. "Nothing~ just suddenly thought I'd go get dessert."

At the word dessert, even his suspicious face was wiped off instantly and replaced with one much brighter and joyous than mine.

"You have **got** to try out their mixed platter here~! It's **damn** good." He emphasized on the two words just to get his point of how great this mixed platter was.

I stood up and nodded. "Okay then."

He stood up too. "I'll go and get some too~!" He piped, and I can clearly see that he was very enthusiastic about the mixed platter.

There was a very small hint of a jump to his steps as he made his way over to the dessert table, and I could see a few people in the restaurant raising amused eyebrows at him, finding it a unusual but enlightening sight to see a groomed man walking like a kid towards an ice-cream truck which, in this case, is exactly like that scenario.

He passed me a bowl as soon as I stopped next to him, and I could only stare curiously at the various bowls scattered across the table in some sort of complex pattern which I can't decipher…..at least it looked nice.

"What kind of a dessert is this..?" I asked, not seeing anything special. The cakes and such were all located on another larger table at the other side. This table held bowls containing various types of…things. Such as red beans, sweet corn bits, this green worm-like thing, bits of fruits, cocktail dressings and other assortments of things.

Marui rolled his tongue around his mouth for a moment before replying. "I'm not too sure myself, but it supposedly originated from Southeast Asia. But whatever~!"

He scooped a spoonful of red bean into his bowl, and then plopped a spoonful into mine as well, to my surprise. Then he proceeded to put other things into his and mine. "You basically put whatever you want in..." A forkful of that worm-like thing was placed into my bowl, " and then you hand your bowl to this guy here…" He took both my bowl and his and handed it to the man across the table. I watched as the man smiled at us and took the bowls, then placed them under a machine which then produced shaved ice on top of the bowl, creating a mini ice mountain. He gave the bowls back to us.

Marui led me to the end of the table and it was here that there are more bowls, filled with different colored liquids instead. "You season whatever you want of these things into your bowl…" Grabbing the spoons provided, he scooped various types of the liquid into his and my bowl, and by the end of it, our ice mountains were rainbow mountains. "I personally like putting condensed milk onto it, which is a must anyhow, and then chocolate and strawberry flavoring. I just threw in the vanilla today for the heck of it….you want some ice-cream to go with yours?"

I didn't know what this thing is anyhow so I nodded, and I was a bit stone shocked from the things he mixed into our bowls. Is it really edible? Mixing so many things like that…

"What flavor do you want?" He asked, eyeing the ice-cream containers.

"Strawberry." The answer came instantly.

He blinked at me and smirked. "Heh. Me too."

Who knew we have so many things in common and yet, be totally incompatible.

Marui: - Bright lavender eyes

Striking crimson hair

Self-proclaimed genius

Egoist

Athlete (according to him just now)

Glutton

Persistent

**Sweets lover**

Kumiko: - Dull brown eyes

Equally plain brown hair

Average grades student

Self-esteem issues

Artist

Abstainer

Feeble

**Sweets lover**

….I take back what I said. We don't have much in common after all.

I poked at my…rainbow of ice curiously and dubiously, while Marui just started chomping down on his as soon as we got back to our seats. "How…do you eat this thing?"

Marui raised an amused eyebrow at me and mocked demonstrated to me how to eat it. "First you stick your spoon into it, scoop out a portion of it, lift the spoon and voila!" He swallowed a bite.

"………" I deadpanned at him and he laughed.

I looked at his bowl, and saw that he had flattened down the ice as much as possible into the bowl, and mixed it with the foods that he's placed at the bottom. I followed his lead.

The dessert, whatever it was, is surprisingly good. I liked it so much that I went back for seconds and Marui could not help but smugly comment "I told you so."

It was sweet and tangy, and all the various bits of food we placed into made it fun to eat, as we can mix and match depending on our preferences. Shyly, I leaned over the table and asked the person who shaved the ice into our bowls what it was called. He smiled and said that it was a dessert commonly eaten in the Southeastern Asia countries Malaysia and Singapore, called ABC.

"A…B…C?" I let the letters roll off my tongue, finding it funny and cute that its name was just a bunch of letters put together.

"Huh, I never knew." Marui said as he rubbed his chin in thought and I rolled my eyes at him. "That's cause you're more concentrated on eating it."

He shrugged, not denying my statement but only went to further prove it by getting more of this dessert.

By my second bowl, I figured I should try the other desserts rather than constantly eat this. I knew that after Marui was done with his (add one or two more bowls of ABC perhaps), he'll grab some cakes for himself. Deciding to be nice a little as thanks for treating me, I grabbed his share of cakes as well and piled them all neatly onto two separate plates.

He blinked up at me and offered me a lighthearted smile when I placed the plate in front of him. "Thanks~!"

I returned a small smile of my own. "You're welcome..."

We spent an hour or so just sitting there and…talking, once we're done. We nibbled a little bit on the leftovers (which Marui could NOT finish, to my great shock) as we chattered aimlessly.

Marui stretched and fell back onto his chair, a contented sigh escaping his lips. "Uwaah~ I'm so full."

"After stuffing all that down, I'm surprised you're still able to sit upright." I commented wryly and giggled.

Lavender eyes narrowed at me in joke anger, and then they lightened up again. "I'll go and get the bill." He stood up and made his way over to the counter. I decided to go freshen up in the ladies room first before meeting up with him outside the restaurant entrance.

"I'll send you home now then." He said as I slipped into the car at the parking lot.

I paused in my seat, hand poised around the seatbelt. I gave him a sidelong glance and asked meekly, "Can we go somewhere else first?"

He cocked his head to the side curiously but then shrugged his shoulders. "Don't see the harm. Atobe doesn't need me back at the Club anyways…" Irritation seemed to leak into his last sentence and I can't help but smile.

I gave him directions to the place where we're headed as he drove, and the further we got, the higher his eyebrows rose. We were near the edge of a city, in between the area where its part metropolis and part countryside. The tall, modern and concrete buildings started thinning out here, and transitioned into green grasslands with train rails running across a side of it.

Pointing my finger, he turned the car down the path I pointed at, bringing us to a road that ended in front of a fairly high stone staircase, leading up to an old temple above.

We got out of the car, and Marui casted me a weird glance. "Why are we here?"

I shook my head and gave a light shrug. "I just felt that, after stuffing all that food down, it'll be unhealthy to head straight home and leave it there in our stomachs. Its better to walk a bit and let it digest."

Marui scratched his cheek in thought. "I thought walking after eating was unhealthy?"

"…..I don't know." We gave each clueless and amused stares and shrugged off the topic completely.

"Well, I'm kinda stuffed anyway. If I head home now, I'll just kick back and play games, so I guess this is fine." He said as he started up the stairs and I followed behind (I was wearing a dress, so I didn't want to climb ahead of him…).

The temple was old, and nobody's been here for a long while now, from the looks of it. Despite its old and near ancient look, this abandoned place painted a calm and serene atmosphere, and invoked nostalgia in me.

~***~

Kumiko walked around to the back of the temple and I followed suit, getting the vibe that she knew this place.

This place was basically abandoned, from what I can see. The grasses were overgrown, the walls musty and floor dusty. Despite this though, I thought that this place must have looked beautiful back in its days.

The Sakura trees, although not in bloom right now, was still here, void of its leaves. One was located directly in the center of the courtyard upon us entering, and others were scattered across the temple grounds. If I had the time now, or if I was still back in high school or middle school, I'd come here to train or relax. It was definitely really serene here, even at this late hour and I felt it must be really relaxing and just…soul-cleansing, for lack of a better word, if I came here in the wee hours of the morning before sunrise.

And I was proven right further when I arrived to where Kumiko is at the back, overlooking the fields below the temple hill.

"You can see the sunrise here, if you come early." She said in a quiet voice.

"Huh…" I didn't really have much to say right now. Or rather, I felt I shouldn't talk so much, as to not break the fragile silence over this place. The silence, the quietness of this place…it just fits right in. I can't imagine it, nor will I like it, being noisy with life here. It'd completely kill the tranquility.

I noticed a stone not too far from where we stood, so I went over, dusted it off a bit and took a seat. It didn't seem like Kumiko wanted to leave this place anytime soon.

I watched as her hand rose, and started tracing invisible lines in the space in front of her, as if she was painting the landscape before her.

"It'd be nice if we could see the sunrise right now." I said suddenly, randomly. The words just came out of me as I appraised the landscape. I tried to imagine the sun rising overhead, and could just see the green lands and cool brown paths beaming with lively sun gold. But my mostly left-sided dominant brain disallowed me from painting a whole landscape, one that looks ethereal anyways, unlike the girl standing foots away from me.

"Yea, it'll be great if the sun would rise right now." She finally replied to my comment earlier after a momentary pause in her tracing. Another pause. Then with hands folding behind her, she turned to me and gave me a small, yet minutely glum smile. "I used to come here a lot with my parents."

I straightened, figuring I should at least look like I was paying attention to her words, which I was. In fact, I was quite interested. There wasn't much that I knew about her, other than she was an art major student at college, and was an extreme goody-two-shoes and quiet (or shy).

"Used to?" My sharp hearing (and brain) instantly picked out the past tense in her sentence. I wondered if anything happened to her parents…that'd be tragic.

"This used to be a Shinto shrine, and they came here often to pray when I was younger." She explained, gesturing around at remains of the temple. "I don't know when, but they suddenly stopped coming here…" Her normally dull eyes just seemed to turn duller and darker.

"I guess it must have been around the time their company took a big boom…" She trailed off, and I prodded her to continue. "What do you mean?"

A sigh bubbled from her, and her eyes slid close in a frown. "They started becoming so busy that…they didn't have time anymore to come here I guess, after their company went big…" I thought she would have cried. She sounded like it. "Then the business trips started."

Huh, no wonder she lives alone. Her parents are away, on a business trip, rather than just staying at another house somewhere else while she attends college. "You miss them?" I asked, surprised that my voice came out quieter and low than normal.

She rubbed the back of her head and gave a nervous laugh. "I guess I do…I mean, I don't see them often as they are away most of the time now, dealing with international companies…." She 'guess' she missed her parents? How can she 'guess' she missed her parents? I mean, if you miss someone, you miss someone! You don't just…'guess' you miss them.

"I think I miss the old them; not them."

Those words were vague, yet told a whole tale.

~***~

We came here often, me and my parents, when I was younger. When I was around 12, almost 13 years old, their company just suddenly started climbing the corporate ladder and then, we just stopped coming here.

And I guess people stopped coming to this place altogether, from the looks of the place.

This place just holds a sentimental place in me…perhaps that's why I asked Marui to bring me here; I haven't come here in awhile. Five years to be exact.

"Sorry for making you bring me here," I apologized as I turned around and began a slow pace towards him. "I must have bored you."

He scoffed and said in a near-obnoxious voice, "It's fine. Besides, I think I found a new morning roadwork area~." Pop.

I merely smiled and nodded. This was the place where a big chunk of my bond with my parents were made, so I felt a small twinge disappointment to see that no one came here any longer.

Marui stood up from his seat and stretched, a huge yawn leaving him. "Can we go?" He asked, almost childishly.

I rolled my eyes at him and nodded. "Yea, we can go."

We started on a slow climb down the long road of steps, Marui idly hopping down them at intervals, and I snail-ed after him. I had to be more careful going down the stairs than when I was heading up them, knowing my ungraceful trait; I didn't feel up to falling flat on my face and embarrassing the hell out of myself in front of the only guy who has ever sparked any small remote feeling of interest.

And yet, I also knew I had terrible luck. Which is why I could only curse the heavens above when my shoe heels suddenly broke as I placed my foot down on a step.

"Sh-!!" I nearly cursed my arms swinging around to regain my center of gravity. Marui turned around to see what was wrong just as I finally gained hold of my balance again, luckily.

He walked back up a few steps to check out what was wrong. "What happened?"

I sighed and lifted my foot to show him what the problem was. His mouth formed an 'O' when he saw the broken heel, which I promptly broke off. I knew I always had a reason for disliking high-heels and pumps.

He turned around to gauge the distance to the bottom and looked back at me. "Well, it's not too far down, you can walk fine without your shoes on for awhile, right?"

"Yea…I guess." I groaned and bent over to remove my heels. Great, now I have to wash my feet when I get back.

Admittedly, I was able to move faster down the stairs without my heels on now, although it was slightly prickly to walk down the stone steps without anything protecting the soles of my feet.

Marui arrived at his car before me, and entered it to run the engine as I reached the last step.

My heart dropped a notch however, when I heard that ill foreboding sound that was painful to any driver's ears…

"You've got to be kidding me!" The redhead exclaimed and tried to rev his engine up once more. But it was for nought, for the car went out with a whimper before stopping dead again.

I bit my lip and made my way over to Marui's side. "…..it's not working?" Please tell me it's a joke, please tell me it's a joke, I don't wanna get stranded out here at this time of the night…

Marui shook his head and angrily slapped his car wheel once before getting out with a huff. "Dead as a roadkill."

First my shoe, and now this? Did we disturb the resting place of some ghost or something upon entering?

"It must be from the time Akaya wrecked it and we sent it for repairs…those guys must not have done a goob job, _obviously_. I'm going to need a word with them when I get back." He near hissed and rummaged in his pocket for his phone.

I remained silent as I watch his lavender eyes burn in bright fury, snapping at the other person on the line as soon as they picked up.

"Jackal!!"

….poor Jackal. Does Marui always pick on him for everything? Like, he already owed him so much from their school days together, to think that he still relies on that kind Brazilian man right now even.

"I'm stranded out here man, come and pick us up!" Marui whined into the phone and I waited as he argued it out to Jackal and explained his situation.

It was several minutes later before his phone snapped shut.

Regarding me with his now cooled eyes, he told me what was happening. "Jackal's coming to pick us up…he wasn't too happy that he has to get up and change at this time of the night." Running his fingers into his hair, he sighed.

I gave a small snort. "Anyone would be angry at being called out of their home at 11pm."

"Hm...yea…"

I leaned against the car and waited patiently as Marui paced about, slowly losing patience. Jeez, he really is like a kid. I don't even understand my own treacherous heart for even being teeny weensy bit jealous of Ruriko over a guy like him. Which is why I strongly hope- and know- I will soon forget about anything I feel for him; totally not worth it.

I straightened out of my slouch when Marui suddenly began walking down the road leading to the turning out of this place. "H-hey~! Where are you-" He cut me off.

"No point just standing here. Let's walk towards the road back, and Jackal will see us sooner than if we wait for him to drive all the way here. This place is pretty far off from where he is."

"But what about your car?"

"Leave it. I'll have them tow it down to the repair shop tomorrow morning."

…so he's just going to leave it here?! "What if someone steals it?!"

He rolled his beautiful eyes which were illuminated by the moon. "It's dead Kumiko-chan. And no one comes here anymore, so its pretty safe. Besides, there isn't a really high chance that if a person comes across it and wants to steal it, he would know how to hotwire a car. So it's safe here for now." Twisted as it is, he did make sense. So with great reluctance, I trailed after him, dropping my heels beside the car; no use for them anymore anyways. I probably will not wear heels after this, seeing their unreliability.

It was a 20 minute walk just to get to the end of the road, before we arrived at the highway. And my feet were starting to itch and hurt by then.

Marui looked around and did not see any cars in sight and sighed. "What's taking Jackal so long…?"

Checking my watch, I saw that it was already 11:35pm…explains why my eyes were becoming droopy. Waking up at 7am and trying to stay awake near midnight is no easy task- for me at least…not to mention the glass of red wine I had just now.

Stifling a yawn, I continued after Marui who clearly is itching to just get back home to do whatever it is he wants to do.

As he walked, Marui sneaked a glance up at the dark sky, and only frowned when he saw darker clouds. "I swear, if it rains, I'm going to kill Akaya…"

"This isn't Kirihara-san's fault…" I defended the seaweed head host lethargically.

"Partly his." He shrugged. "If he could just drive in the first place, I wouldn't have a broken engine right now. Though those repairmen are to blame as well."

I rolled my eyes, but could not help the small smile that flitted across my face. I swear this guy's brain works with him in the center of the world…oh wait, is that Atobe instead? ….hard to tell.

15 minutes later, and I was visibly slowing down and it wasn't too long before I came to a stop completely. "Marui…can we stop and just wait for Kuwahara-san here?" I could not help the small whine in my voice.

He raised an eyebrow at me and stopped in his place ahead of me. "Why?"

Shaking my head, I pointed at my feet, which were now red and slightly bruised from that accursed stone, asphalt and dirt path I had to trudge through. "My feet hurts." I explained shortly.

Marui's mouth pulled to the side as he stared at me in despair, and I could only return it with a frown of my own. "Is it so hard to just sit still and wait for awhile?!"

He looked as if he was about to pull at his hair. "It's so boooring just sitting around!"

"Play your phone games or something!"

"Phone games are so lame!"

"Well--!! I'm not moving! You walk for 40 minutes without your shoes first and see how it feels!" I crossed my arm and looked away from him with a huff. I was nearing the end of my patience after a long day and night; I'm really tired, and all I want is to lie backing my comfy bed and sleep. I still have to wake early tomorrow morning!!

I heard Marui sigh, but I closed my eyes and refused to look at him, in case he gets us caught up in another one of his childish arguments.

"Here."

At that though, I had to open my eyes to see what he was doing, and I blinked in surprise and shock before pink crept across my skin.

"W-what are you—"

"You're tired, aren't you?" He said, glancing back at me with one eye. "And your feet hurts. And I don't feel like sitting around. So this works fine, doesn't it?"

He made sense but…

"I-I'm wearing a dress though!" I bricked myself mentally for such a lame excuse.

He rolled his eyes, apparently having the same thoughts about my previous sentence. "**No** one's going to look up your dress here, alright?! No one's even around anyways! And my eyes will be glued at the front so I can't see it anyways even if I want to."

I spluttered and cried out at him indignantly. "W-what do you mean you want to?!!"

"Oh for--! I didn't say I want to!!" Furious lilac turned on me, and I thought I caught a telltale hint of pink dusting his cheek; but I think it was just my eyes playing tricks on me, seeing how tired I was. This guy was as bad as Niou when it comes to perversion anyways. He closed his eyes and turned away with a short snap. "Just get on already!"

Biting my lips and with great reluctance, I wrapped my arms around his neck from behind and I felt his hand hold the bottom of my thigh; before I knew it, my sore feet were off from the ground, the night wind caressing it from its new height.

Marui walked slower with me on his back, and I turned red as I softly apologized to him for being heavy.

He laughed and said, "You're lighter than Akaya, that's for sure."

We were silent after that, not a single word passing between us other than when Marui informed me he was going to shift grip for a bit. Then we were back into our silent bubble, trudging along a silent road and night- where many and most were all asleep.

Unlike most men who wore some sort of strong cologne that made my nose wrinkle up in sensitivity, Marui had a sweet and tangy smell to him. It reminded me of strawberries and melons. Unconsciously, a smile filled my lips as I took in a soft breath, his scent filling my senses.

It was a really nice scent.

We were on open highway/road, and so the wind blew often, causing goose bumps to bloom across my skin, and I instinctively brought myself closer to the only other source of warmth here.

I blushed when I realized though and retracted again. "S-sorry…"

He shook his head, gaze still set in front as he walked. "It's alright. I don't mind."

Hesitantly, I brought myself back, the need for warmth overpowering my embarrassment.

I resisted leaning my head against his back however, thinking that'll be completely rude of me as he's walking whilst carrying me and I'll also be guilty of being comfortable as he did this.

So I tried to start a conversation to keep myself awake and from being too relaxed in his hold. "D-does Kuwahara-san live that far from here?" I asked.

Marui shrugged and nodded his head. "Yea…I suppose. Far enough anyways. And there's usually lot of traffic in the center of town at this time, and he has to get through that to get to us…damn those night-ghosts." He muttered referring to the late-goers and I raised a dubious eyebrow at him.

"Aren't you guys partly to blame too though? Host clubs usually open until late after midnight…"

"Yea but not us. We only open till very late during certain and special occasions, but other than that, Atobe does not wish to jeopardize the safety of the women who visits us and tries to close on time so they are still able to get home safely before all those menacing wolves come out."

I smiled at this and a warm feeling fluttered into my heart at his words. "Atobe-san is a very considerate man, isn't he?"

Marui gave a scoff. "Yea he is, to an extent. That guy's ego is as big as the earth itself."

"So are yours." The words left my mouth before I could stop myself.

"Hey, don't make me drop you." He frowned, turning around to look at me. "Besides, I have the rights. I'm a genius~"

I didn't exactly register his words however, as I was too busy focusing on his eyes, which have I mentioned were extremely beautiful? They were so bright and jovial and always, always full of mirth; mischievous and cheeky, yes, but that's what makes them stand out. Stand out to me.

My face was extremely warm, and that was what brought me out of my reverie as well, in addition to the sound of drums – or is it my heart?- beating in my ears.

"Hey, you alright?" He asked and I stiffened.

"Y-yea! W-why do you ask?"

"You were just out of it just now, and didn't say anything even if I was talking to you…was there something on my face?" He asked, eyebrows raising into his hairline.

"N-no…," _But there is a pair of magnificently beautiful eyes there_, "I-I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"….class."

Marui groaned and turned around to look at me again. But I was prepared this time I directed my eyes to the sky above. "Is that all you ever think about? Classes and homework?!"

"No!…I have my duties and responsibilities to my parents though…"

He gave a short laugh, eyes rolling heavenwards and focused on the same sky as mine. "Glad I'm such a genius that I don't need to go to college…"

"Hosts don't exactly need quantum mechanics to work you know." I commented sarcastically in response.

"Yea, but we still need the brains to entertain our customers with. And Atobe has pretty high standards for his hosts! He made us all take this exam which we had to get a minimum score before he even considers out applications!"

My jaw dropped and I stared at him with incredulous eyes, gaze tearing away from the starless night. "You're serious?"

"Very serious."

"Wow…" Atobe's host club is _serious_ business. But I still didn't understand, if he was already rich to begin with, why did he begin a work line such as this anyway? It's not as if he needed extra money.

I would try to come up with scenarios regarding that, but my brain was too fried right now to do so. Unbeknownst to me, I was yawning as I wondered sluggishly about Atobe and his host club previously.

"Jeez, what time do you sleep?!" Marui laughed when he saw me yawning and I frowned at him.

"It's not that I _sleep_ late, but it _is_ late and I _wake_ early! Unlike some people…"I grumbled, rubbing my eyes in an attempt to get the sleep out.

"Well, Jackal should be arriving soon, so you'll be back in no time with enough hours probably to recharge your system. Speaking of which, I'm going to call and wake Akaya up when I get back, just as payback for destroying my car before. I'm going to make him cover the pay for the repair again this time—"

~***~

My voice trailed off as I realized that she wasn't listening.

She had fallen asleep.

Shaking my head in amusement and slight contempt at her lack of vigor and energy, I stopped in my tracks to shift her in my grip again. Here I was, carrying her and walking at the same time for the past god knows how long, and I'm still perfectly fine and awake~! Yet, she's dozing off like a delinquent student in class, or rather, Akaya in class.

I craned my neck around to check on her, and wake her up because I was bored and needed someone to talk with. But peace has laid itself over her façade, shy and dark brown eyes closed off from the world. I decided not to wake her, upon seeing how peaceful she is. Heck, even I'm not that evil to wake up a person just cause I'm bored. I might do it if it was Akaya or Niou, and sometimes even Jackal, but Kumiko doesn't deserve such treatment. She was a really nice girl.

Her breaths came out in long and slow puffs, cheek pressed up gently against my shoulder. Against the night sky with only the moon to shine down upon us and the occasional road lamps, her skin glowed in a ghostly ethereal beauty.

Ishimaru Kumiko…was a strangely unique person, I'll have to say.

Why I have to say it, I wasn't too sure. It's like a gut feeling; like you were doing an exam question and was deciding whether to answer A, B,C or D. But you go ahead of C because you just know that it's right, even if you're not sure why.

Or in the words of a famous play character, "I don't know why I know why."

Many girls and women I have met were more beautiful and prettier than her, and even smarter and more talented. But there was just something about her that separated her from them, like how she's separated from Ruriko. Good or bad, I don't know.

I tore my gaze away from her and to the front when I heard a car honk. Up ahead, I saw Jackal's car heading towards us, and with much eagerness, I made my way forward, making sure to not rock too much lest I wake the sleeper on my back.

His car lights beamed upon us and I had to screw my eyes shut momentarily to banish it away. I felt Kumiko shift behind me.

Jackal got out of his car and casted me a furious glare, folded hands drumming rapidly against his arms. I grinned cheekily and gave a nervous laugh. Oooh…he wasn't happy, that's for sure. "Sorry, Jackal. I'll make it up to you."

"You never do, Bunta." He sighed. "Come on, get in."

"Alright…can you open the back door for me?" I asked, and when he gave me an incredulous look, I nodded to Kumiko behind me.

"Oh…sure." He said, noticing that she was asleep before opening the door.

As he made his way back to the driver's side, I tried to tuck Kumiko into the backseat without waking her, although it was hard to do.

But it seemed she was a heavy sleeper of some sort, for she didn't wake, even after I lost balance for a moment and nearly fell over her. I sighed in relief, for she would have screamed in my face and probably slapped me if she woke and saw that.

Making sure that she wont roll off the seat as the car drove, I was about to extract myself from the backseat when I heard her murmur softly.

I blinked, thinking she was awake but she wasn't. I got out and closed the door and opened the passenger seat's door.

"Stupid redheaded pig, thanks for dinner….huh, who knew she sleep talked?" I smirked, before sliding in and closing the door after me.

* * *

**Noticed I changed my name to kuryujiru guys? D; Yea...MaruiBuntaWorshipper kinda made me sound like some freakish stalker and a retarded 10 year old haha x-x**

**Hmhmhm- I tried to make mention of Kumiko's family a bit here, since I was having this little….shall we say "Parents Arc" planned? XD I'm not too sure if I should execute it, but just in case I do lol**

**whee 171 reviews~!! Thank you all of you XD I'm sure you're all sick of me saying that by now but I cant help it haha I just get so happy everytime I open my inbox to find I have new reviews XD**

**slowdanse- haha thats alright XD you commented now, didnt you?! *hug* aww and it makes me really happy to hear that my story is your fave PoT fic XD I didnt veen think I'd make it onto a faves list when I started, ever! haha And yes, I love Shiraishi too XD I'm hoping to make a ShiraishiXKumiko side story connected to this in the future, possibly XD Or maybe even make it part of the story rather than a side haha it'll be good initiative for Marui to get into action anyways XD And I'm sorry the other hosts didnt make much appearance D; it's hard to juggle so many characters and give them all equal screentime D: but...Jackal appeared here for a bit! XD  
**

**Cyanide- sorry if you found her depressing D: I guess most of the time as I wrote this, I was in a stage of turmoil in my life and reading The Bell Jar (suicide and all in that book) =/ well, not everyone is a happy-go-lucky character though. And Kumiko definitely isn't one lulz I just needed someone to offset all the cheer Pot characters have lolz ****And yea…Club Celestial haha its not really related to the story XD though maybe in the future I might make it a real working Club in the story haha though right now there's already too many hosts to juggle around and give screen time to D; umm other than Eiji…there's Fuji though! He's in Club Sacred and appeared once…XD; Sorry if you wanted more Seigaku, but its just that Seigaku isn't really my fave school = (they don't make it to my fave lists either x_X) **

**Lady Ladington- XXD glad you like that sentence haha I was going to write something like patriarchy but then decided it'll make him too...macho haha as thick and pompous as his head is, we all love him for it XD And I found as I wrote this chapter, I'm extremeeely horrible, at fluff D:**

**Kouyan- XD your wait is over haha lool you lost a chance to request something and possibly see it in action! D;**

**MaruiBuntaWorshipper Fan- people dont have to slam the doors in my face, I walk into them on my own x-X ...and you might want to change your review name now as well, since I changed mine XD  
**

**KaorusDevil- aww I'd have love to put your request in, but then, its kinda out of character for Shiraishi to...uh...stalk them XD; perhaps next time ;D maybe it might even be Marui doing the stalking haha**

**Emy- *hug* thank youXD**

**PhoenixRage92- yea, I didnt like the last chapter much too D; it was so...lame lol I hope this chapter was better though *crosses fingers and toes* **

**Ami H- haha you write down all the quotes? XD thats surprising lol I thought people just read them or skim over them and forget about it XD **

**Skull Rider- I always get deja vu XD *glomp* thank youu, glad you enjoyed it XD I wasnt too happy with the last chapter honestly x_X**

**xHakumeix- not exactly lost here, but stranded=lost anyways XD to me at least haha its hard for me to make them get lost, since Marui probably knows where he's going and has GPS in his phone anyways XD And yes, I heard that Shiraishi bit a lot haha I'm trying to work him into the story more, but then I fear if I do that, this story might switch away from Marui and towards our dear Bible haha but we'll see =D Shiraishi is my second fave right after Marui, so i definitely hope to have him in future chapters XD  
**


	29. Asuka's Invitation

"_Fine Line"_

_"Whoever said that money can't buy happiness simply didnt know where to go shopping."- Bo Derek  
_

_Chapter 29: Asuka's Invitation_

~***~

My hand slammed on the alarm clock, ending its annoying and deafening scream. Sitting up in my bed, I looked around blearily, trying to regain sense of the day, world and place I'm in. A few moments passed before I concluded that I had classes today again, and that last night was my outing with Marui, which I can hardly recall the end part of. I remembered he was talking about something….something, and then it went blank. Then I was awoken by him and Jackal, I think, but I must have been, because I vaguely remembered them escorting me up to my apartment room, and they deposited me in my room, so I must have given the key to them or woke up or something…

I can't really remember, although it seems I must have been really tired to not have changed out of my clothes from last night. So it was with great fervor that I jumped out of bed and cleaned up, not really liking the feeling of being dirty.

My day started off as usual, with her packing and grabbing a quick bite to eat after doing my daily morning wash. I fed Nipoi before pulling on my socks. Just as I grabbed the keys to the apartment which were located on top of a shelf where hung a calendar, happily humming as I approached the door (I felt awfully happy today for some reason), my feet stopped dead in their tracks.

Rewind.

I stepped backwards to the shelf again, and placed my keys on the surface. Eyes blinking widely at the calendar, I opened her cell phone (thank Marui for that) to check the date.

October 24.

I looked up to the calendar.

October 24.

Yep, nothing wrong. It was the same, it was right.

………"oh shit."

My face paled instantly and a bead of sweat trailed down my brow. October 24th…October 24th….24th….that meant…

"Asuka-chan's birthday is in 3 days?!!"

~***~

I usually wouldn't panic. I was a really organized person, and could get almost everything done efficiently, including getting my friends presents.

However…

Asuka-chan has a reputation for being very loud, obnoxious and straightforward. And helluva picky.

If she didn't like your present, she wouldn't hide it. That's what's terrible about her….but she's still a great person!

I groaned into my hands, covering my face, racking my brain as to what to get Asuka for her birthday. I had 3 days to think over it, sure, but when it comes to finding a present for Asuka, it was not easy.

Not to mention I was pretty much a perfectionist on getting the perfect gift…

Asuka liked alcohol…but I always giver her wine. And I don't think I could afford another Bordeaux, after cracking a hole in my bank account since the last.

What would be the perfect gift, I wonder….

A light bulb suddenly lit up over my head.

For some reason, the word perfect that I had been obsessing over the past few moments brought only one name to mind.

Shiraishi Kuranosuke.

The man was perfection itself. And really smart….maybe he can help me? Not to mention, he knew Asuka very well too, seeing that she's one of his regulars…

I bit my lip in hesitance, eyeing the card with his number which I received from him and Kajimoto the first time I visited them at Club Sacred. I had long been dismissed from my class, and now I'm sitting down at a table in one of the many cafes littered throughout the neighborhood, contemplating on whether I should call him.

Putting the card away after a moment, I sighed. "I'll just be bothering him…" I murmured to myself, sipping at my mango milkshake.

A few sips down, and my fingers went to grab the card again on their own.

….

"I'm so sorry to bother you, Shiraishi-san!!" I wailed instinctively into the phone as soon as the dial tone ended and Shiraishi's voice greeted me, which I subsequently had cut off.

"Ishimaru-san?" The voice came over as surprised rather than angry or mad.

"Am…am I bothering you?" I asked unsurely.

A light laugh rang over. "Not at all. Business is a bit slow right now. The mob comes after lights out."

"I-I see…"

"Is there anything you needed from me?" He asked, getting straight to the point.

"Ah! Y-yes…It's Asuka-chan's birthday in 3 days…."

"Oh…."

"Yea….so…."

"You need my help?"

"…yea…"

"……" He chuckled for a bit, and I thought it sounded almost nervous. "All right then….Umm…" There was a pause and then, "I'm free tomorrow afternoon, and we can meet up if you are."

"Yes, tomorrow afternoon is fine. " My classes were in the morning tomorrow, luckily.

"Alright, I'll message you the details on where to meet up later, okay? See you."

Thank whoever up there for letting me meet such a great guy as Shiraishi.

~***~

"So a birthday present for Asuka-san huh….?" Shiraishi mused, rubbing his chin with a bandaged hand.

The two of stood on the side of a crowded street, brainstorming some ideas on what to get for Asuka.

"This is really difficult…Asuka-san has very…volatile tastes, from what I know." He smirked at me, and I returned a nervous smile of my own.

"Yea…she does."

The two of us at first ambled about the busy shopping district, walking into any store that we think might have anything of interest to Asuka, but we always came out disappointed.

I'm awfully grateful to Shiraishi for helping me on this, seeing as he's so busy and all (and he must have cancelled at least one or two customer dates to come, as I fully do not believe him to **not** have any customers at the time). Really, I could have gone to Yura, or Rinko or even Aya, but they were probably worrying about a gift of their own.

….or should I say, they'd be just as clueless as me.

Not to undermine them or anything, but I always thought that Shiraishi was a very smart person, so I figured he could come up with something faster than all four of our heads put together. Although my belief on this has yet to be reinforced yet…seeing as we still haven't gotten anything.

With a clunk, Shiraishi dropped the object back onto the display table he picked it up from. "I don't think she'll very much appreciate a box of scented shampoos and soaps."

I resisted slapping my forehead. Figures that Shiraishi would check out a hygiene sort of shop, considering his history of being clean and healthy. "No, I don't think she will Shiraishi-san."

He gave a forlorn sigh and smile. "She'll probably take it as an insult instead, accusing us of calling her smelly."

"You're probably right." I giggled, quickly putting back the bar of soap I was considering. "At this rate however, we'll never get anything for Asuka-chan…"

Shiraishi did not answer as we exited the shop, and I recognized the look he always wore when he was pondering or thinking. He stopped and turned to me after extracting himself from his thoughts. "Maybe we should get her a gift card or something? So she can spend it on whatever she wants." I thought I heard him murmur to himself that Asuka could already get whatever she wanted anyways so it didn't matter…but it might have been my imagination.

"That's a great idea!" It really was, and I felt stupid for not thinking of that sooner. But…. "What store should we get the gift card from?"

Silence on Shiraishi's part.

I think I asked a pretty good question.

~***~

I dozed lazily on one of the host club couches, munching on a piece of mochi Jackal had made for my previous customer, but the girl said she was too full and thus did not finish it. If I wasn't the way I am (gentlemanly and all~), I would had declared blasphemy and said that it was impossible to not finish the mochi just because she was full. These things were so darn good!

But, I didn't, of course. Not that I mind either, since that meant more mochis for me.

My next customer will arrive in another half an hour, so I could do whatever I wanted for the time being…What's there that is better to do than bugging Niou and plot Akaya's demise together? Not to mention I still have yet to hear his full tale regarding his trip to Hawaii, that lucky bastard.

I sauntered up to Niou in the audio video room, some English movie of some sort playing on the giant high definition LDC screen as I entered. Plopping down next to him, I propped my leg on top of the coffee table and made myself comfortable on the plush couch. Niou glanced at me momentarily before concentrating on the movie again.

"So how was your Hawaii trip?" Pop.

"Eh, it was fine, piyo~"

"…is that it? Fine is all you have to say about it?" I raised an eyebrow at hime dubiously and he shrugged, throwing me one of his conniving grins.

"Madame Sasako is definitely beautiful and refined for her age, but she's much too….uptight perhaps, for me to fully enjoy Hawaii."

I did not understand, and it was clearly written on my face I supposed, for he elaborated.

"She was averse to water….or rather, sea-water. I was stuck on the beach most of the time but never got the chance to even step foot into the ocean, much less go scuba diving, surfing or boating." Somehow, Niou kept his face laidback and straight the whole time he said this while his voice let out trails of venom filled with regret.

He must have found it a waste of time at Hawaii then, seeing as he hardly got to do anything….Poor guy. But still! His ride and accommodations were all paid for! I wouldn't complain if I were him.

Reaching out for the controller, he paused the movie. "Enough about my so-called trip; what went on here while I was gone?"

As usual, I blew a bubble and allowed it to pop before replying. "Not much really. Just the usual- guests came and went….etc. Oh, and remember Kumiko-chan?"

Niou rolled his eyes at me. "Of course I remember her. It's hard to forget the unexpected winner of the Empedocles and Fire contest at the festival…I really did not expect your group to win, honestly. She didn't look like the sporty type either…"

"Hey, I was in there, alright? Of course we would win with my genius self in the group~!"

"Yea, sure. Whatever. So what about her?"

"She came back several times while you were gone!"

"…seriously? That's gold, piyo." Niou laughed. It seems that even he found it ludicrous that she stepped foot into this place again as well. After hat, I just filled him in on what went on during his trip; who came and who went, who got new customers and regulars etc etc…The usual.

Though I did hesitate for a bit before telling him about that incident with Ruriko. It's not that I found that event life-changing or anything, but Niou had ways of making people feel hell on earth; he probably will find some obscene way of turning that event into something sadistic and embarrassing for me entirely, even if I'm impervious to it previously. He's just that good.

Niou kept laughing, hands folding around his stomach and bending over.

…..I know I should have learnt by now that I should never reveal everything to this man; should have learnt my lesson the last time…I can never see Sanada in the same way again. My body shuddered as the nightmare of my past (courtesy of Niou) replayed in my mind and I quickly eradicated it.

"Oh crap, this is glorious." His aggravating laugh continued to fill the room and I saw Jirou poke his head in with curiosity, but he quickly left when my glaring eyes set on him. Not his fault but…

"Shut up, Niou!...Don't you dare do anything funny…" I threatened, eyes darkening. He did not give any hint that he took my threat to heart, only continued laughing.

Just as I am about to jump him (screw Atobe and his rules about physical violence), my phone's familiar ringtone cut into the room's air and mixed in with Niou's laughter which started to die out as I fished for my cell.

Flipping it open, my eyebrows rose as I skimmed across the message. I barely registered Niou's cell phone ringing as well.

Looking up, I was about to speak to him regarding my very strange message when I saw him staring at his phone screen with a "blood hell, what?" look on his face.

"Oh my god, Marui-kuuuuun!!!" Jirou's voice came screaming from the hallway outside and I could hear several of our customers shrieking, when Jirou skidded into the room.

He was going to get it from Atobe, or perhaps Sanada, later, that's for sure.

"Did you hear?! Did you hear?!!!" The bronzed haired man bounced around the couch and I saw clutched in his hand his cell phone.

"…I think I heard."

This is definitely the first time someone has ever bought that package…in all of our time working as a host club.

~***~

Sifting through the various stores, I was about to topple over from jelly feet, and while Shiraishi's patience ticked away. Both of us were pretty much at out wits end on what to get Asuka.

And both of us felt like slapping to crap out of ourselves when our cells rang, at the same time.

Reading the brief message from Asuka, my eyes widened with each word up to the size of saucers. I looked up to find a look of surprise on Shiraishi's face, clearly as shocked as I was only more contained.

"Is she…serious?"

A pause before he replied. "Asuka-san….wouldn't make a joke like this, don't you think?"

"….I guess…."

But this was just…too extreme. I know she's loaded, but is she for real?!

"_Hey all~_

_Sorry for the informality of this and the mass messaging, but if you have any complaints, take it up with me later when you come! I'm inviting all of you guys and all of you from Club Sacred and Club Prism to attend my birthday party cruise! Awesome right? ;D _

_And if it isn't obvious enough, I've basically just bought Club Prism's Birthday Cruise Package and decided to have Club Sacred along (for the heck of it and cause you're all good). Shiraishi, you're probably freaking right now when you read this, but the deal's cleared and done with Kajimoto. Talk with him and not me._

_And Kumiko-chan, I expect you to come or you're one dead artist. Rinko-chan, if you bring that American exchange boy with you, you're dead as well. Yura-chan, you can't bring your homework. Aya-chan…..you can bring Kikumaru-kun I guess._

_Well, see you all at the port in 3 days~! The address is attached._

_PS: The cruise is for 1 week, fully paid for by my sweet parents. So don't worry, I did not rob a bank."_

* * *

**Hehehe xp the title is reminiscent of another chapter called Aya's Invitation ;D **

**This chapter doesn't have much…other than progressing Kumiko and Shiraishi's relationship a little teeny weensy bit 8D; I swear I'm shooting myself in the foot by trying to juggle her relationship with both Marui AND Shiraishi….OTL And this chapter is just a way for me to transition into the next arc~ ;D Where more random fun will ensue, and hopefully, sparks of love and evil green(lul wut?) will fly!! ;D**

**And I'm sorry for the extremely late update. I've been extremely busy, and sick. S I quickly threw this out, so it's a bit…well****, lame and half-assed. Exams are approaching, and updates will probably be very slow until they blow over. Winter break however….I'm expecting to complete at least 5 chapters during my short winter break, if all goes according to plan ;D And then I wanna quickly complete a few chapters of Love Story and Conquering Dawn, and introduce a new story, "Spice!" XD It'll probably be about Kagamine Len of Vocaloid…though I'm not too sure the vocaloid fandom is too hot here…so I might change it to Marui, Sasori or Shiraishi instead D; But Spice! is based on Len's song of the same name so….I think Len is better =/ **

**It'll be a pretty much…dark and mature story; my first attempt at this sort of genre!! *shakes fist nervously***

**I'd reply to messages but…not now OTL feeling too sick to stay on for another 30 min replying (is extremely slow).**


	30. Bloom With The Ages

**Lol well, I did mention in one of the earlier chapters (or at least hinted at it? =0 ) that Asuka was pretty rich lol Poorer than Atobe, but ****still rich ;D . Rinko too, but not so much. Like, if you're going to be visiting host clubs on a regular basis (and one like Atobe's to boot), you better make sure you're rich D;**

**

* * *

  
**

"_Fine Line"_

_"Admiration begins where acquaintance cease." -Samuel Johnson  
_

_Chapter 30: Bloom With The Ages  
_

~***~

"It's…it's huge!" Aya whispered under her breath with disbelief from beside me, while I was rendered speechless as I gaped up at the cruise ship, mouth hanging wide open.

"Y-you can say that again…" Rinko eyebrows twitched visibly at the sight. Yura had nothing to say but stare in silent awe.

An arm suddenly snaked out from behind me, and a deft hand in one swift moment pushed up my chin, ending my more likely than not, embarrassing gape.

"A beautiful girl such as yourself will attract bad wolves if you leave it hanging open like that; it tempts them you know." (1) That really familiar line and even more familiar voice resounded nearby my ear, and I squeaked in surprise before leaping away in shock.

"M-Marui-san!" My voice came as an annoyed stutter, heart pounding erratically against my ribcage. Shouldn't he know by now that I was jumpy?!

He tutted, wagging a finger in my face obnoxiously. "It's Marui-kun! Remember?"

Oh yes I remember, I recalled with a grudge.

"Ah, Marui-san, have you seen Asuka-chan?" Rinko asked, turning around to face the redhead and ignoring my equally red faced self.

He shook his head. "No, I haven't. I just got here myself, in all honesty. She's probably in there already with Atobe or Yukimura."

Marui lead us into the cruise ship, and I blanched when I saw the sea rolling beneath us on the platform. I hated the water- especially sea water. I always felt this sense of being helpless in an expanse of fluids. There was this constant paranoia that would surround me, fearing that I would suddenly get pulled under or curtained over by a high tide, and never be able to surface again. During the time of the Prism Festival race, Marui and Shiraishi were with me, and I could tell they were strong swimmers, so maybe the fear wasn't that great, or that I was pumped with adrenaline….but the fact remains is that I'm like a cat with water (**especially** sea water).

But what can I do? Its Asuka's birthday, and I can't possibly not attend with a lame excuse such as aqua-phobia. Especially with the fact that there were as many lifeguards on this cruise ship as there were hosts (or so I was told). And chances are, I'm not going to jump into the ocean anytime soon anyway…I just have to make sure I don't get seasick and topple over the railing.

Several hosts that I recognize were already on the cruise, walking about- and getting to know each other perhaps? Or maybe share tips? Or taunt each other, or compare accessories and looks….

"Uwaaah….I wonder how much did Asuka-chan pay for this?" Aya muttered in amazement, twirling around under the glorious design of the cruise interior.

"Not much, really." Asuka's voice came from behind us and we turned to find the birthday girl herself grinning cheekily and haughtily at us. "The cruise is already owned by the Atobe, and I merely had to pay for rental and service fees. It's not like I had to buy the whole cruise ship." She said with a shrug and I deadpanned at her, disbelief and utter annoyance scratching my face all over. It kinda bugged me somewhat, Asuka's careless sense of the value of money…or maybe I'm just jealous of her uncaring personality towards what people thought of her. Unlike her, I cant be like that. I cared too much.

"Although it is still somewhat surprising." Atobe started, following right behind Asuka. "You are the second person to have ever ordered our Birthday Cruise Package…the first was myself, of course~" He finished with grandeur.

As Aya and Rinko squealed all over Asuka at how lucky she is to have such a great birthday party, all I can do is just sigh and stare absently at the gold walls, hardly being able to join in on their enthusiasm.

I just can't decipher how rich people's minds work.

~***~

The time for the cruise ship to depart soon rolled around, and I was surprised at how packed the cruise got. There were hundreds of people I don't know and never saw before. A part of them seem to be Asuka's relatives whom she invited (like her first cousins, second cousins, and second cousins twice removed; and a niece or nephew here and there) and majority of the group is Asuka's friends, whom me, Rinko, Aya and even Yura do not know.

Although Aya seem to have gotten to socializing terms with them pretty fast, having just jumped straight into the pack and chattering to anyone who would listen. Rinko was no different although she focused more on the male species.

Which left me and Yura standing side by side awkwardly (me at least), having not possess such a spirited and hyper personality as the other two.

But I suppose I was happy where I was; and Yura too, if I could say so myself.

It was definitely amusing watching from our post here by the railing, at all the girls who Asuka invited and had never been to a host club before. They were completely overwhelmed by these gorgeous men!

It was a strange scene at first, since the first time I went to a party involving hosts was the Prisma Festival, and 99% of the females there were well acquainted with host clubs, beautiful men and their charming ways. Most of the girls here now aren't though. They were mostly my age and up to Aya's age, give or take one or two years. And they definitely were not all lucky enough to be born to good families who were filthy rich.

It gave me a sense of self-satisfaction and security to see other girls in a position similar to mine; although they most probably have more of a social life than I do. Still, I didn't felt all too bad now, seeing many other girls who would flush crimson instantly as soon as a host even so merely glanced at them- I felt like I belonged somewhat now, as sad and bleak as that sounded.

The ship departed from its port with a flourish, and the whole ship's temporary inhabitants had gathered out at the deck to watch the shores of Japan disappear beyond the horizon.

I left the deck several minutes after the ship departed, not liking the claustrophobia that was starting to set in. It felt like I couldn't breathe with all these people clustered around me, compressing me into one little space. Even if this was my first time on a cruise (well, not really. I went on one before, although that was for Disney World, which my parents took me to a long time ago), the feeling completely overwhelmed any excitement I might have had.

I entered one of their many windowed rooms, only to find Shiraishi inside as well, looking out the window.

"Shiraishi-san?" I said with surprise, walking up to him.

"Ah- Ishimaru-san. Good to see you again." He smiled and I could not help but return it. "Why aren't you out there with the rest?"

I pouted at him. "I can ask the same of you…it was too crowded out there. I didn't like it. I can just watch from here. What about you?"

"Same reason as you, really…The view from here is as good as outside, with the added bonus of comfort!" He laughed.

A bright mock of red hair caught my eye outside amongst the crowd, and I could only guess it was Marui. "How does he live with such an outrageous hairstyle…." Apparently, Shiraishi heard my mutterings for he gave a laugh and replied with a jocular, "He's unique that way."

It wasn't long before I felt slight nausea; not enough to make me barf (yet) unlike some people (and even hosts!) who are already lugging buckets with them in a death grip. Aya had hunted me down, and caught Shiraishi along with her seeing as he was with me. She wanted us to help her make her last minute birthday gift for Asuka.

"I thought we didn't need to bring gifts…." I mumbled in mute panic. But Aya eased me right away with her answer. "We didn't. I just wanted to!"

Seeing as Asuka was one of my good friends, and I didn't even bring a gift of my own for her….I decided to help Aya out as much as I can to make up for it. Her task was relatively simple, and her gift was the sweetest thing ever.

~***~

"Ready?"

"Yep~"

"Alright…." I ran the camera.

"Happy Birthday, Asuka-san!" Shiraishi and Kenya both cheered at the same time, and then simultaneously drank down a whole bottle of wine each. Their eyes looked as if it would pop out of their sockets when they were done, and Kenya started coughing. "Oshitari-san! You're ruining it!!"

He glared at me and pointed an indignant finger my way. "So are you, interrupting like that! The camera is still rolling! I ain't drinking another bottle!!"

Shiraishi stared at Kenya with exasperation, before facing me and the camera again. "Ah…yea, Happy Birthday again, Asuka-san…."

I cut the camera off.

~***~

Aya's plan was to film everyone (or at least as much as possible) saying "Happy Birthday" and then combining all the clips together into one video which she will play tonight at the dinner party.

They could just say it normally, or do something to go along with it.

Kenya came up with the brilliant (or not) idea of binging down a whole bottle of wine after saying it, as a tribute to Asuka and her drinking habits. Needless to say, it didn't go so well; for Kenya suffered from stitches and a churning stomach for several hours after.

Shiraishi looked as if he was holding up pretty well, though I swear his usually pale skin had a green tone to it…

~***~

"Once a year we celebrate with stupid hats and plastic plates~"

I stared incredulously (and miraculously, still holding the camera pretty much still) as Koharu and Yuuji (they werent hosts. But they managed to smuggle themselves aboard. They haven't gotten into trouble -yet- as Shiraishi had went to their defense and said they were friends just as the security guards were getting ready to throw them overboard with nothing but a buoy) sang like banshees to the camera the most obnoxious song they ripped off somewhere ever!

"Happy Birthday! Now you're one year older! Happy Birthday! Your life still isn't over~"

Momentarily, I glanced over at Shiraishi and the both of us contemplated whether to cut off the filming right then and there, or allow them to continue and have their heads mauled off by Asuka later.

"But you didn't die this year I guess that's good enough~!"

I never saw such a….intimate and….disturbing dance before, ever, in my life! They should be listed on the Guinness World Record.

"Happy Birthday! You're starting to get fatter! Happy Birthday! You're---HEY!!" Koharu cried, with much offense, as Shiraishi pushed them away from the camera. "I think that's enough from the two of you."

If the next person performs something like that, I don't think my eyes will live to see the next hour of light.

Though I wish it will hopefully live long enough for me to see Asuka snipe down Koharu and Yuuji for basically calling her fat in their song.

~***~

"Haa-yaaawn-pper Bir-…..ay…." Jirou rolled over and fell right back to sleep.

~***~

"Happy Birthday, Chiyoko-hime." A shiver ran up my spine when Oshitari blew a kiss at the camera in his usual sultry way.

That man creeps me out to no end.

~***~

Kajimoto gave one of his most charming smiles ever as he finished his magic trick. If his talent didn't kill me, his smile would.

"Ishimaru-san?"

"Ah-y-yes?!!!" Red burned my skin as I was recalled from my private thoughts about how dashing and sweet his smile was.

A hand over mine guided the camera back up to its proper position; it must have slacked during my reverie…

Kajimoto allowed a fleeting smile to play across his lips once again- "Happy Birthday, Asuka-san."

~***~

"Who else are we supposed to get…?" I whispered as quietly as I could to Shiraishi beside me, making sure the camera remained steady in my hands.

"We haven't gone to Marui-san and Niou-san yet…." He whispered back, just as quietly.

"And they lived happily ever after~!" The girl finished tell her tale with a flourish and a bow. "Happy birthday, Asuka-chan!"

I turned off the camera and clapped alongside Shiraishi.

"Thank you so much for your story, Marlue-san! I'm sure Asuka-chan would love hearing it when she sees this! It was amazing!" It was probably the most boring story I've ever heard in my life….

"Oh? I'm glad you liked it! How about I tell you another o-" Shiraishi grabbed my arm and waved apologetically at her. "I'm sorry, Marlue-san. But we have to finish our rounds!!"

He saved my wuss once again.

~***~

Shiraishi and I emerged from the room, my cheeks a faint pink and Shiraishi's a dull pink, accompanied with slightly disturbed and widened eyes.

"T-that was…."

"Interesting." He finished for me.

I'll make it a note in my mind to never hire those girls as dancers for a party, ever.

I never thought that such an innocent song like "Happy Birthday" could be turned into such a….slut fest, for lack of a better word.

~***~

"I see Marui up ahead."

I squinted my eyes and true enough, a bright mock of red was floating about up in front at the food area. Expected of him to be here.

"Marui!" Shiraishi called out to him, and the redhead looked up from his plate with surprised eyes from suddenly being called. "You got a moment?" Shiraishi asked as he stopped in front of Marui's table, and I followed suit.

He swallowed, and gave each of us a nod and a wave. "Sure, what's up?"

"Well, we're making a gift for Asuka-chan…" His eyes took note of the camera in my hand.

"Oh, you guys are doing the video thing as well?"

"You know about it?" I thought no one knew except for those we approached and those involved….

"Yea. Yunami-hime has already approached me just now about it….don't tell me I have to do another one for you guys too?" He blanched.

"What's so bad about doing this? It's for Asuka-chan you know!" Somehow, I took slight offense from the fact that he didn't seem to enjoy doing this.

"No, there's nothing wrong really…although I don't think I can handle another wasabi bomb…." His face twisted into one of agony and despair as whatever he had to do when Aya filmed him flashed across his mind.

"Wasabi bomb?" Shiraishi echoed in confusion.

He nodded with much despair. "Yunami-hime made me eat two California rolls stuffed with nothing but wasabi since I had no other ideas on what to do myself…"

……Now I feel terrible for him. I can understand why he doesn't want to do it again now.

"Well, good for you then Marui. You don't have to do it again since you've already done it…although we wont be as cruel to make you eat wasabi bombs, that's for sure." Shiraishi laughed and the redhead could only give a tired but relieved stare at us.

"Phew. Safe~!" A green bubble emerged from his mouth.

"Your bubblegum looks a lot like wasabi flavor…" I muttered with a snicker.

It went pop and Marui glared my way. "Don't remind me!"

~***~

I was surprised that dinner that night was quite…calm, to say the least. I expected something extravagant and outrageous that was usual of Asuka; but nope- no booze fest, no gore and fake blood, no mutant jellies….

It was a normal dinner party- calm, casual and fun in general.

Although Aya nearly had her head cracked open when she tried to sing the kids version of the birthday song to Asuka on stage; Asuka threatened to fling her glass at her if she didn't stop.

But Koharu and Yuuji did get the glass at their heads though, one each, when she saw the video and the part of them calling her fat….(unintentionally).

I could only wince and cringe as I watched Marui in the video eat the wasabi bombs Aya had presented to him. The poor guy looked as if he was going to cry….his eyes were so red! I couldn't help but laugh as well though, since it was pretty funny to see him so messed up, when he's usually cool and suave.

Asuka chortled loudly as she patted Marui on the back, having approached him after the video broadcast was done. "You the man, Marui!!" She grinned, clinging her glass with his although Marui did not have a smile of any sort on his face. He only stared blankly at her before sighing. "Only this one time, Chiyoko-hime, cause its your birthday…" He toasted her before downing his whole glass alongside her.

"I still can't believe you ate that-that thing!!" Rinko exclaimed incredulously.

Marui shrugged. "What can I say? I'm just brilliant that way~"

Ah, here's the old Marui I'm used to- the cocky one. I thought he had been missing for the duration of the video; he's back now at least.

"Asuka-chaaaaan!!" The strangely familiar voice of Jirou came from behind said girl, before she was enveloped from behind in a bear hug. "Look, look, loooooook!!!"

"GAH! Akutagawa!! I'm looking, I'm lookiiing!" She cried, furiously trying to claw him off.

We all turned to where Jirou was pointing to see Yura and a few other girls (probably Asuka's friends from elsewhere) wheeling out a giant cake on a cart that has been gloriously decorated.

Marui's eyes lit up instantly at the sight. "WOW!"

Yura looked over at him with a small frown. "Asuka-chan gets first dibs, Marui-san."

He pouted back at her and raised his hands in the universal sign of surrender. "I got it, I got it…"

"Oh wow, this is amazing you guys!" Asuka admired the cake, standing at least 2 and a half feet high.

"Not really~ Atobe-san had the chefs making it from early morning before the cruise even left; we just decorated it." One of the girls explained and gestured to all of them who wheeled the cake out. So that's why I hadn't seen Yura for most of the day…she must have been helping out with the decorations.

By now, we had gathered a crowd, all eager and wanting to get a peek at the birthday cake. It was decided we would leave it there for the moment, to allow everyone a chance to get a look at it; and pose with Asuka with it.

Marui is put on restraining order, and was not allowed to get within 10 feet of the cake for the next hour.

Said man is currently pouting and cursing the high heavens about it in the corner, taking his fury out on the salad platter.

"The cabbage didn't do anything wrong…" The poor green thing is being shredded by him and his fork.

"Just look at that! It's sitting there, mocking me with its pink and white clouds of cream!!" He cried indignantly towards the cake at the other side of the room.

I shrugged unhelpfully. "Not much you can do now but wait…Atobe-san has asked Kabaji-san to make sure you don't touch the cake at all…" I had found out Atobe had one other personal….assistant, which followed him about outside of club hours today. Kabaji was his name. The man…was like a gorilla in all its sense- huge and burly….but quiet.

Silence, between us at least, reigned then, and I concentrated on sipping my drink as I tried to keep my eyes to myself. Since my….'realization', of my feelings (somewhat), I noticed that I often….take note of Marui and his presence now. And since I didn't want my feelings to be made public, I tried to act as nonchalant around him as much as possible….hmm, maybe I shouldn't even be standing here with him….I should go over to the other side, as far away as possible, lest he thinks I'm sticking around him for another reason.

Just as I was about to go, he asked a question. "How old is Chiyoko-hime now?"

I paused, doing a quick calculation. "She'll be 21 on this birthday."

"Hmmm~" He hummed. "How old are you and the others then? Oh wait, you're 18." He laughed. "I just remembered you had your 18th birthday at our club."

I blushed heavily and glanced away. "Yes…" It was one of the most embarrassing nights of my life. I made so many stupid mistakes in front of sinfully beautiful men. I'll never be able to eradicate the memory even if I wanted to, ever.

"How old is Yunami-hime and the rest then?"

"Aya-chan and Rinko-chan is 18 like me, Yura-chan is 19."

"Heeh~"

"And what about you?" I asked. The question had actually been bothering me for sometime now.

"Me?" He blinked at me with surprise.

"Yes, you."

"Hmmm…"He rolled his eyes about, and blew a green bubble as he contemplated telling me. After several seconds, the green bubble went pop and he winked at me.

"It's a secret~"

"Hey! That's not fair!" I pouted. "Only girls can say that!"

"That's like saying only guys can wear pants!" He laughed. My eyes widened and blinked, and my face leaned back instinctively when his hand suddenly reached out and pinched my cheek.

"You're so adorable~" He cooed mockingly, as if he was talking to a 3 year old.

He blinked suddenly, and a huge grin spread across his face as his eyes focused on the direction of the cake. "They're finally cutting the cake!!"

And before anything else could be said or done, he had fled to the other side, already in line to get a slice amongst the many other guests.

I for one, did not follow. Instead, I turned towards the bathrooms to dip my face in cold water.

Very cold water.

* * *

**1. Lol Chapter 2 XD**

**Honestly, I'm running dry of ideas for parties x___X you can tell by how sloppy the writing is getting...OTL Anyone have ideas for games or events that can probably bring two star-crossed lovers closer together? DX**

**Oh, and exams ended for me today, and I wanted to celebrate the occasion with you guys by releasing this chapter lol ;D**

**But did I see the reviews number dropping? =x  
**

**Lady Ladington- Ahh yea, I had been REALLY busy =( Even the last chapter was rushed in what little time I had x_X And I'm resisting with all my heart and soul not to turn this into a ShiraishiKumiko story XXD and yes, I read your review on Viva La PSP XXD I'm surprised you suddenly went and looked that one up =0 it was pretty old lol And KiriKumi is one of my personal faves too lawl XXp I really do want to write a story featuring the both of them haha I have one in mind, but I need to finish Fine Line first XD **

**Windbell- In general, yea the hostess clubs do have a bit more risks to them . A lot of people see them as prostitutes too = Well, as I was writing this, I gave a bit of thought into how the hosts would feel themselves lol most people just see them as pretty dolls who are in it for the money x-x I tried to take that from another perspective XD But I'm glad you like it =D**

**kuro-maybe she is challenging him? XD She wouldnt win though lawl If Atobe's a billionaire, Asuka is only a lower level millionaire XD**

**Kouyan- she is, pretty much XD she loves to flaunt it sometimes haha**

**Juunin- XXD well, they dont have to anymore~**

**Slowdanse- ahaha well, she is sort of based off people I know xD**


	31. Puzzling Thoughts

"_Fine Line"_

"_Our whole life is solving puzzles." – Erno Rubik_

_Chapter 31:__ Puzzling Thoughts_

_~***~_

Despite feeling god awfully tired from the party that night, (it ended very late into the night, cutting close to an hour after midnight; and it was only the first day!), I am still awoken by sounds of screams and cries of terror outside.

Blinking groggily, I tried to make sure I wasn't dreaming and am actually awake, that these horrific cries were not figments of my imagination.

I shot up in my bed in alarm however, when my door was suddenly slammed open and Aya and Asuka trudged in, with grave faces painted across their usually happy demeanors.

"Aya-chan?! Asuka-chan?! W-what's going on?!!" I stammered, flinging the sheets off me as my two friends approached the bedside, faces looking as if the world was about to end.

Silence raged in the room, a stark contrast to the deafening clangs outside. Bright light shone in from the corridor lamps and illuminated Aya and Asuka's, painting a bleaker mask over their already grim faces.

"Aya-chan, Asuka-chan, what is---!!!" Before I could even finish my sentence, Aya and Asuka suddenly screamed, "DIPPPPEEER!!"

"Wha-he-HEYYY!" Involuntarily, I screamed when the two girls forcefully carried me off the bed, Asuka grabbing a hold of my legs and locking them together with her brute force, and Aya hooking her arms underneath mine.

"Aya-chan?!!Asuka-chan?! Put me DOWN!!!" I cried in terror as the two girls kept grinning madly and carried me out like a roast on a spit, their legs bringing the three of us forward as fast as possible.

As if my heart wasn't pounding from fear and confusion enough, my eyes bulged when they brought me out into the open night air, passing by many more girls, boys and hosts; some with amusement painted across their faces, some with anger and bitterness, some were just staring blankly around at the people around them, and some…..were soaking wet.

"Hey….hey, hey, hey, wait!!!"

Before I could say anything else, the two swung me back and forth and catapulted me into the freezing pool at 3am in the morning.

I knew the party last night was too calm and easy-going.

~***~

"ACHOOO!!"

"Bless you…"I groaned when the boy walking past me sneezed loudly into the folds of his shirt.

He muttered a quick "thank you" before continuing on his grumpy way, and I on my sniveling way.

Because of that cursed trick they played on us last night (the unlucky chosen ones), I had contracted myself the flu. Oh joy.

Due to the ungodly hour that cruel punishment was enacted, the pool water was freezing like Hokkaido during winter, and to make it worse, the night ocean air did little to help to alleviate the cold, instead added fuel to it and made it felt like the arctic. It did not help either that I was clad only in my pajamas.

Dark bags decorated the area underneath my eyes, and I doubt that even make-up would help. I could careless though, for all I wanted right now was a hot warm cup of cocoa or something; and maybe a little bit of redemption from the side of Aya and Asuka.

"Haha, I see they got you too?" Upon that clear laugh, I lifted my head to see Shiraishi smiling his usual addicting smile, a cup of warm coffee in his hand. "Too? So you mean…" I trailed off, as I could hardly imagine Shiraishi being taken out easily and thrown into the pool.

He nodded, and a cheesy smile spread across his lips. "Kirihara-san and Yukimura-san got me."

"Yukimura-san?!" That made my eyes pop. That sweet, gentle and fragile Yukimura?!

"He's a…..pretty sadistic bastard if he wants to be." Shiraishi muttered darkly but with much jocularity. Him right now would be the part where in any of those anime shows I saw, the character mutters off to the side with a dark cloud over their heads, and a bead of sweat rolling off their forehead, wondering whether they should be amused, angry or wallow in self-pity.

I sighed and told him my part of the tale. "Aya-chan and Asuka-chan got me." I paused and breathed another heavy sigh. "I'll never trust them the same way again…"

He laughed airily despite my glum self killing every single flower in the area. "Come on, let's go get you something to drink. You look like you need an energy booster!"

"I do…" I sighed, but a smile crept onto my face despite myself. It's hard not to smile around this man. Pulling the jacket closer to my body, I followed Shiraishi to the cafeteria, where delicious smells of fresh pancakes and waffles permeated the air, and sounds of people chattering about the event that took place early, early, eaaarly in the morning today.

Upon my entering, Yura instantly caught my eye as she waved for me to join her at her table where she sat with Rinko. Approaching them with my tray of breakfast, Rinko instantly shot me a very annoying grin.

"So…they got you?" She snickered, pointing at my jacket and sniveling. Then she looked over at Shiraishi. "And I hear from Niou…"She bursted out laughing and Shiraishi just shot her a light exasperated look.

I frowned as I sat myself down, muttering, "I still don't get what was up with that…"

Yura smiled and passed me a newly filled cup of tea. "It was Asuka's idea." I figured that much. "A 'light prank', as she called it. Those who knew of it were those who partook in capturing and dumping people in the pool." She shook her head. "She wanted me to help, but I didn't…I was sworn to secrecy though."

"Why would Asuka-san do something like that?" Shiraishi asked, trying to formulae an answer to his own question.

Yura and Rinko shrugged. "Beats me. You know Asuka-chan…she's like that." Rinko answered, not really helping.

We spent most of the day after exploring the cruise (hell, this will probably be the last time we get to go on one), Shiraishi accompanying us the whole way as I had asked for him to join us.

It was weird, honestly. When Yura and Rinko got up to leave and explore, I had the urge to ask Shiraishi to come with us. I really do like talking and hanging out with him; he was nice, considerate and have his own quirky sense of humor.

I really do feel that Shiraishi is one of the first male that I can be around with easily, and not stumble over my words or constantly check my face for anything wrong. I felt like I could just be whatever I wanted with him and he wouldn't judge me for it.

Or at least, he wouldn't outright say it being the nice guy he is.

Most of the day went by with us loitering about, and watching the various games and contests that were taking place amongst the invited guests. We spotted Asuka once in awhile, but she always surrounded by so many people (being the star of this party and all) that we decided to let her be and give her time to catch up with all her friends and relatives.

Night rolled about with time, and once again, most of the people present were gathered in one of the large ballroom for a mass dinner party (and I still keep wondering how bloody rich Asuka is).

Many of the hosts were going about (it wasn't only Prism and Sacred that were on board as I was quick to discover; Asuka had taken it upon herself to invite other host clubs- just how many did she knew anyways?!), promoting their club and charming the ladies in hopes of snagging a promising future customer; some of the hosts, mainly those from the rich and established host clubs like Prism and Sacred, were talking amongst themselves and with people they were already familiar with, having no need to fish new customers; some were even trying to out-brag each other of their and the club's achievements.

"Yo, everyone." Kenya greeted us, along with Shiraishi. These two seemed to always be stuck together.

"Hello." Yura smiled quietly while Rinko went slightly gaga.

"Hi~" I smiled at the two, feeling pleased that I didn't stutter in my greeting this time as well. I think I'm improving! (After hanging out with such forward males for a time, you grow used to it….I think.)

Shiraishi looked around us, searching for someone. "Where's Yunami-san?"

"She's with Yagyuu-san and Eiji-kun-….speak of the devil." Rinko grinned and pointed behind me.

Before I could even look behind, a weight was dropped on top of me and I bent over. Wincing, I glanced up to see a pair of brow eyes beaming down at me. "Aya-chan…" Sliding my eyes over the side a little, I deadpanned. "M-Marui-kun…" Well, the stutter is back for a bite. That aside, why are the two of them using me as a hand rest anyways?!

"It'll be nice if the two of you could get off me…" I sighed and I could just feel their grins radiating towards me.

"Aww, but Kumiko-chan, you make a really good rest stand, you know that?!" Marui grinned and I felt the urge to wipe that grin off (even if it made his crystalline eyes all the more appealing).

"I agree with Marui-kun!" Aya nodded from above me, pushing me down when I tried to straighten. "With your height and stature, you make a perfect rest stand!"

Just when I thought my back would break, Yura came to my rescue yet again. "Come on, leave Kumiko-chan alone." She scolded, shooing Aya and Marui off me, Yagyuu helping to pull them off.

"Che~Party pooper." The redhead pouted and Aya assaulted Yura instead, using her as a stand- although being slightly shorter than Yura made the task a tad bit more difficult.

Just then, the speakers resounded with the taps of someone testing the mic on the stage. Looking over, we found Asuka, the birthday party host, up there in all her fiery glory and smirking down at us like the great smiter himself.

"What's up everyone?!!!" She cheered, jumping about the stage and instantly revving everyone up with her antics- well, it seems everyone except me and Yura who just stood there while the rest of the root cheered and clapped. Even Shiraishi laughed and gave a hoot or two.

"There's still a bunch of food over at the buffet table! Oi, Marui! I expect you to finish it by the end of the night!!" She waved her fist over at our direction and Marui waved back in return. "No problem!!"

"Just how do you **not** get fat?" I grumbled at him under my breath but he only grinned and flashed his trademark V sign.

I turned my attention back to Asuka on the stage, trying my best to ignore the closeness of the redhead beside me. I really should have been used to close quarter contact with him by now, like I am with Shiraishi and some of the other hosts (amazingly). And yet, I'm not.

It was weird, why it turned out like this. I mean, I got used to it with the other hosts, since they were pretty much forward with their body language and social acts. And Marui was just the same as them, if not worst (compared to Shiraishi and those of Club Sacred). It was easy for me now, to stand close with Shiraishi and others- I don't get too awkward or nervous, and can actually act as I normally do around the girls.

But with Marui, I still get nervous and stutter, and am still all too aware of his presence. I wonder if it's because of my minor crush on him? Is it even a crush? Maybe I was just feeling this way because of his pretty looks, and nothing more? Girls are easily swayed by men and their looks, and I don't want to be one of those who go for a guy because they look cute or handsome.

If it was not for his looks, then I could not find any logic that could explain why my heart even jumps when I see him and not Shiraishi. I spend as much time with Shiraishi as with him, probably even more, and Shiraishi has all of the qualities I will look for if I ever am searching for a prospective other.

A hand waved in front of me and I looked up into Marui's eyes. "What's up with you? You look angry…" He asked, quirking an eyebrow at me and I blushed. I must have let my thoughts overrun onto my face, for I felt more and more frustrated the longer I think about it, and it was most likely showing.

"N-nothing. Just…it's really stuffy in here, that's all." I laughed nervously and focused my eyes back onto the stage. I could feel his eyes on me even then, and I gulped.

Something was going to start apparently, as everyone started murmuring around to each other. Having missed most of what Asuka said, I turned to Yura for help.

"We're going to play a game of some sort…she hasn't explained yet. But prizes are available for winning, apparently." She whispered to me, and then it only made sense to me as to why so many people seemed excited.

Prizes.

Asuka knew her psychology well….want to inspire people or get them to work better? Give a reward.

"We're going to play the age old classic of "Dare or Double Dare!!"" Cheers and hoots of excitement went around the room, and mixed in were moans of despair, mine being one of them.

"Seriously? She could have come up with something better than that!" Rinko crossed her arms and pouted.

"We will use the randomizer to select who shall do the dare!" She pointed to the side where a man was controlling a computer, which its contents are projected onto the screen behind her. A list of the names of the people currently on board the ship is what is shown right now.

"Once selected, the person are given three choices: Dare, Double Dare, or Forfeit. Prizes are given to everyone who performs their dare. Of course, the prize is greater for those who does the Double Dare! If you forfeit however, you'll have to go through a penalty game."

I paled instantly. I was just thinking that if I got selected, I would just forfeit…but it seems I won't get out of it unscathed.

"For forfeiting, you will have to drink one of Sadaharu Inui's specially made drink!...and I'm telling you, they are….not really pleasant…" She made a vomiting action to emphasize her point.

Beside me, I saw Shiraishi and Kenya visibly gulp at the mention of Sadaharu Inui+Penalty+Drink, making me wonder if it's really all that bad- I mean, it's just a drink!

"Dares will be drawn randomly from these two boxes, one for Dare and one for Double Dare respectively!" Asuka smirked and gestured to two boxes placed on a table in the middle of the stage.

Someone in the crowd raised their hand, a boy whom I've never seen before, so I assumed he was one of Asuka's friend.

"Yes, Souji?" She regarded him with a raised eyebrow.

"Will you be taking part as well?" He asked a very good question.

Asuka rolled her eyes. "No, I won't. I'm going to act as the VJ for this contest, and I'm the birthday girl, so what I want goes for now." She snickered and some of us 'boooed' at her for the lack of sportsmanship. But she just flicked them the finger.

It was all done in good fun of course.

"Alright! Let's get this started then!!"

When everyone cheered, I moaned and trudged back to our table, opting to stuff myself silly as I await my doom (if it comes; joy if it doesn't).

As the event started off, people went back to what they were doing previously before made her grand entrance on the stage- eating, dancing, drinking, dancing etc etc although they were more distracted in what they are doing now due to 'dare' event. I must admit, it is quite interesting and fun to watch. I choked on my cake from laughter when a group of guys did the chicken dance on stage- the guy who got the dare for this had to recruit 3 other males to do the dance with him.

Being the suave talker that he is, Niou of course succeeded in this dare, having persuaded (or rather, tricked) two of Asuka's male friends to do it, and Jackal. I could hear Marui guffawing from his spot by the buffet table at the scene.

"Oh my god!" Aya's mouth dropped when she saw her name appear on the screen and I laughed at her. She glared at me. "Watch it! It might be your turn soon!!"

I failed to take her threat to her as I only kept laughing whilst she made her way up the stage to a madly grinning Asuka.

"Dare or Double Dare?" Was the fiery redhead's question.

Aya gulped, fists clenched in front of her before she screamed, "DOUBLE DARE YEAAA!"

"THAT'S THE SPIRIT!!" Asuka cheered with her, the two of them punched their fists together. Sometimes, I wondered if they weren't secretly members of a gang or something.

"Haah?" Was Aya's only reaction when she read the paper she drew out from the Double Dare box.

"_At the strike of midnight, you have to jump into the ocean and remain there for a total of 10 minutes."_

Asuka read out loud to the room and I turned a worried gaze on Yura and Shiraishi. "I-isnt it dangerous to do that?!"

Yura nodded hesitantly. "But it's a double dare…"

"I'm sure it'll be fine, Ishimaru-san. Atobe has one of the most extensive safety precautions for any of his events and facilities. Yunami-san will be safe when she does this." Shiraishi reassured me when he saw that I wasn't going to calm down.

I really hope Atobe does.

"Worst case scenario, I'll jump in to save Yunami-san myself if anything happens." He laughed, and managed to bring a smile onto my face, ebbing away the worry. Shiraishi did save me from drowning once, so I'm sure that it'll be alright with him around.

"I'll be holding you on this double dare, and make sure you jump in at midnight. So be prepared!!" Asuka declared and Aya saluted.

As soon as Aya returned back to the table, Yura was instantly on her. "Are you sure you should do this Aya-chan? It's really dangerous…"

"What if there are sharks out there?" I asked suddenly, wanting to sway Aya from the dare even with Shiraishi's reassurance.

Aya rolled her eyes at us. "Don't worry guys. It'll be fine…besides, I don't think there are sharks out in this part of the ocean. And what are the chances? I can't be _that_ unlucky…"

At this, me and Yura were convinced that Aya is insane and will definitely not back down. The girl has too much pride for her own good.

The night rolled on, and soon there was only an hour before midnight. Asuka has gotten tired of standing up at the stage and away from the action on the floor, so she now has turned to carrying one of the boxes with her, the double dare box, and another friend helped her carry the dare box around the room, going to whosever name appeared on the screen. This proved worst for the consequent victims of the game, as she only served to make it harder to do with her jeers, 'encouragements; and other trash-talk.

One of the boys screamed in frustration during the execution of his dare (he had to try and do the salsa with the girl of his dreams- i.e.; his girlfriend). But Asuka wasn't making it easy with her sexual innuendos.

But that's the Asuka we all know and love.

Aya and Rinko suddenly gasped, then started pointing at the screen in fits of giggles and laughter. I feared the worst as I turned my gaze towards the screen, but then relaxed when I saw that it wasn't my name, but Shiraishi's.

Shiraishi scratched the back of his head in uncertainty, while Kenya came up and patted him on the back. "Good luck, Shiraishi!" The man grinned as Asuka made her way over, a grin much like Kenya's on her face.

"You've got bad luck, Shiraishi." Marui guffawed as he walked over with Niou and Jackal. Kenya rolled his eyes at them. "Not as bad as Niou I bet!" The Okinawan pointed out, hinting at the dare Niou had to do- the chicken dance.

Niou only scoffed and smirked. "I did a sexy chicken dance, admit it. The girls were all screaming~ puri."

Asuka rolled her eyes at the silver haired man's statement. "Yea, sure. Whatever you say Niou." Then she focused her gaze on Shiraishi, a conniving glint coming back to her orbs. "Dare or Double Dare?"

"Pick double dare!!" Kenya pumped his fists into the air and Shiraishi sweatdropped.

Yura shook her head in disagreement. "Play it safe and pick dare."

"No! He should pick double dare!!" Aya countered and looked at me for support. "Right, Kumiko-chan?!"

I blinked, not sure what to say at the unexpected question. "Eh? Uh-umm…he should pick whatever he wants, shouldn't he…?"

Shiraishi laughed at all of us before reaching a hand into one of the boxes: the double dare box.

"Hell yea!!!" Kenya cheered as Marui whistled. We all waited in anticipation as Asuka flipped open the paper Shiraishi drew out and read it outloud into her mic.

"_Kiss the boy standing closest to you…"_

We all blanched and Shiraishi paled, eye twitching.

"_If you're a girl."_

All of us sighed in relief though I thought I heard Rinko gave a grunt of disappointment instead. Asuka looked up at Shiraishi with one of the evilest stare I've seen that night.

"_And kiss the girl standing closest to you if you're a boy."_

All the girls, including me, standing around him had saucer eyes, and all of us simultaneously started looking around, comparing the distances. But it was obvious from the very beginning that the closest were me and Yura.

I stared at Yura, and she did the same to me. I had been sitting beside Shiraishi, and she beside me before we all stood up upon Asuka's arrival….

Then Yura had shifted as she commented on which box Shiraishi should pick…

It's obvious! We're standing about the same distance away from Shiraishi, so he cant pick either of us since none of us is the closest to him, hence nullifying the dar-

"Kumiko-chan is the closest." I paled and looked down at Niou who was squatting, eyeing the distances between my feet and Shiraishi's, and the distance between Yura's feet and Shiraishi's.

"T-this is silly!" I huffed, crossing my arms. "In the first place Asuka-chan, y-you can't just involve third party people into dares like this!"

She merely grinned at me, knowing I was just trying to weed my way out. All of us here are familiar with the game of dare, and knew that whether the third party likes it or not, it's up to the dare executioner to do his challenge.

And right now, Shiraishi's challenge was to kiss me.

_ME!_

In front of a bunch of people I don't know, in front of Asuka, Aya and Rinko, whom will never let me see the end of it, in front of Niou who is sure to make some sort of sexual joke out of it later, in front of Marui—

"So, Shiraishi-_kun_? Are you going to do it?" Asuka taunted, clearly trying to add fire to the fuel to the tense atmosphere pulsing between me and the host right now. If my life is written as a storybook, Asuka would be one of the antagonists; definitely.

Shiraishi looked at me uncertainly, and I could only flare red when I met his gaze.

Asuka hummed, a frown on her face. A figure suddenly approached from behind her, holding a glass of….something. He had cropped and slightly spiked black hair, and glasses that did not allow any view into the eyes it protects.

The hosts visibly flinched at the sight of this man and the drink in his hands, which was pulsing and swirling in a mixture of red and green- wait a minute, did that thing just bubble?!

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Shiraishi cringe at the look of that drink. Even I, who will not be facing that fearful beverage if I do not kiss Shiraishi, felt like fleeing from the scene before it could get any closer to us.

Asuka plugged up her nose when the man was close enough. "God, Inui! Cover that thing up!"

Inui just looked at her, the ceiling lights reflecting off his glasses and giving him a sinister leer. Then he took a deep sniff of his drink and all of us blanched. "Even if you say that Chiyoko-san, this is full of nutrients that is good for your skin and hair-" He got cut off by Marui who was standing closest to him, but the redhead had now backed up. "It doesn't matter! T-that thing is pungent! What the hell is it anyway?!"

Just as Inui is about to reply, Kenya cut him off. "N-never mind! We don't really…want to know…"

Quickly losing her patience due to the pungent smell of the drink around, Asuka turned to Shiraishi and prodded him to make his decision fast. "Do or don't do?!"

Shiraishi is in obvious indecision. To drink that thing might meant his sickness for the next couple of days, but to accomplish the dare would mean the violation of my personal bubble and rights.

And knowing Shiraishi for the time that I did, I knew he would pick drinking that monster of a drink. And I just couldn't allow that, not after all that he did for me.

Even if it was in front of everyone and I was thoroughly embarrassed, I absolutely cannot let Shiraishi who had been nothing but kind to me face that beverage. It was even more embarrassing for me because Marui is here too, and lately I had been getting all these strange urges and feelings around him…but still, Shiraishi is a friend. Probably one of the first male that I can truly call a friend and rely on.

And a true friend does not let his/her other friends down.

With that thought in mind, I pulled at the sleeve of his shirt. Ash eyes turned on me and I smiled up at him. "Do the dare."

Shiraishi's eyes widened slightly in surprise at my willingness. He probably figured that I wouldn't want to do the dare, being the hermit I am. But a friendly hermit I am then (somewhat).

"But Ishimaru-san, you don't nee-" He started but I shook my head. Sneakily, I peeked to the side to get a glimpse of what Marui's expression is. A little part of me was disappointed to see it completely blank.

I guess I was fooling myself to even think that perhaps he would have some sort of reaction in me kissing Shiraishi, a rival host.

Behind me, I heard Aya and Rinko squeal around like madwomen, and Yura's soft 'tsking' just as Niou gave out a low and provocative whistle. Jackal just sighed.

Maybe it was because this was such a controversial dare, or maybe it was because of the large group around us, but for some reason, we had attracted the attention of many of the other guests. And it did not help my nervousness, nor Shiraishi's hesitance one bit when they all started chanting 'kiss, kiss, kiss' like a mantra.

What's with them and their hormones anyway?! If they like watching kissing scenes so much, they should just watch those American movies…

Someone from behind pushed me and I stumbled a step towards Shiraishi. Regret for agreeing to do this started to corrode into me, but I willed it away. This isn't for me; this is for Shiraishi. I can't possibly repay him for saving me that day and for all his help by allowing him to fall into the clutches of bowel sickness!

He stepped towards me and gave me a nervous chuckle. I tried to return it with a smile, but the heat invading my cheeks was making it a terribly hard job to do. This is probably what it would feel like being several hundred meters away from the sun-it felt like my skin would just burn right off!

He bent down towards me and squeals from the girls had already began to peel the air. Right before the moment our lips touched, he stopped and fixed me with a look. "You really don't have to do this you know, Ishimaru-san…" He spoke softly, just for my ears. There was a light scent of cinnamon that permeated his breath and washed over my currently highly sensitive skin. My eyes slid close halfway and I shook my head slowly, by a miniscule fraction. "It's alright."

"Annnnnn Shiraishi Kuranosuke earned himself a prize as well tonight!!" Asuka screamed into the microphone. "And so did our dear Kumiko-chaaaan!!" Aya's voice filtered through the air.

But I hardly registered their voices, and could only hear the ringing of bells going off in my ear.

It was alright for him to do this, and for me to do this. I owed him, and I wasn't bounded to anyone either.

And in all honesty, I don't think kissing Shiraishi is all that bad.

~***~

It was past midnight now, and I remained out in the ship's deck, enjoying the night breeze. Aya had done her dare, and earned herself a prize- what it is, I have no idea. Most of everyone else had retired to their rooms and bed for the night after the last dare, Aya's dare, had been cleared. The poor girl, despite having literally frozen herself into an ice cube, was still pumping with adrenaline after her dive into the ocean.

I felt that I wouldn't be able to fall asleep easily that night, and it was true. Moments after entering my room and changing into sleeping clothes, I lost all desire to sleep and had instead grabbed a jacket, wandering out onto the deck where I am now instead.

Subconsciously, my hand raised to lightly touch my lips. The feeling of Shiraishi's lips on mine were still tingling there- it was a soft and seemingly platonic kiss, but it still left me dazed and unsure of myself.

After the kiss, I had opened my eyes and without thinking about it, had started to look around for Marui, but the redhead was no longer there within our circle. For some reason, I was disappointed. But another part of me was hopeful- hopeful that he had left before the initial contact between me and Shiraishi.

I was startled when someone else suddenly leaned their arms against the railing next to me. It was Shiraishi.

He smiled at me, although this time it seemed slightly reserved- hesitant, almost. And I gave a shy smile in return.

"Can't sleep?" He asked.

I shook my head. "Not after all that sugar drinks."

He laughed in response, and I felt some of the tension evaporate between us. Even though the dare just now was done with both our consent, it was what made it awkward- the fact that neither of us actually minded…..much.

The two of us stood there, enjoying the night and the calm silence pervading the air around us. One thing about my friendship with Shiraishi is that, neither of us minded if the other didn't talk; and we just enjoyed each other's company.

"You know…" I started after awhile, breaking the peaceful quiet between us. " I never thought that my second kiss would be with you again." I laughed lightly, a bit of irony lacing my voice.

Shiraishi chuckled. "I didn't think I'd ever kiss you again either!"

Our laughter died down, and we elapsed once again into a short silence.

"It's…weird, I have to say." I spoke up, absentmindedly brushing my fingers against my lips.

"Hmm? What is?" He rose an eyebrow at me.

"Just…the act of kissing." I paused, contemplating whether my words will sound stupid but then figured that Shiraishi wouldn't laugh, and would give me the benefit of the doubt. "I've seen many people do it- my parents, Aya-chan and Kikumaru-kun, Rinko-chan and her flings, and even Asuka-chan with her occasional beau sometimes…" I trailed off.

"But?"

I giggled. "But nothing!" The wind whipped against my cheeks, caressing it as I stared down at the dark ocean depths. "Just…why do we do it?"

Shiraishi blinked owlishly at me before answering. "To….express love for each other?" It was honestly a silly question, so I wasn't surprised to find him at a lost.

"But if it was an act of showing love to each other, aren't people overdoing it? And for Asuka-chan to use it in her game…that completely goes against the reason for a kiss, doesn't it?" I tried to make sense of what I was saying. "I mean, we're…not in love or anything. But because she used it in her game, we had to do it….but we're not expressing love for each other…and aren't there other ways to show love?"

Shiraishi seemed to seriously take into consideration my words, and I was surprised as I watched him ponder them, chin wrapped in his palm. And a part of me is grateful that he did not sign me off as a lunatic.

I figured it must have been my lack of experience with such intimate acts that made me question their existence and the reason for doing them- if I was even remotely familiar with them, I probably would have just taken it as it is without questioning them.

Shiraishi released his chin and looked up at the starless sky, face scrunching up in thought. "I'm not too sure…but I had heard from someone before that a kiss is a way for two people to combine their souls together, since it was believed that people's souls lived in their breaths…" When I looked at him with a fully red face and raised brows, he raised his hands up in front of him. "S-she was a traditional sort of person, so…i-it probably doesn't mean anything." He fell silent and turned to look out at the dark horizon. "I…had honestly never thought about it. It's something that I see quite often, and even more since I became a host but…I really never thought to look behind the reasons of the act." He looked at me with mirth dancing in his eyes. "You're a pretty deep person, Ishimaru-san. Much deeper than I expected!"

I pouted and slapped him playfully on the shoulder. "Just cause I lock myself in my room all day doesn't mean I don't get any thinking done!"

~***~

The laughter of the two below carried over to me through the wind, as I leaned my frame against the upper deck railing.

I had come out here to get some fresh air and clear my head, but then I caught sight of Kumiko on the deck below mine, Shiraishi joining her shortly after.

The night was silent enough that I could hear everything they say with pristine quality, and I could only scoff at the weird, silly yet interesting topic that Kumiko had brought up.

I rolled the piece of gum around my mouth as the image of the two kissing drifted into my thought, before I banished it once again.

I narrowed my eyes in frustration. For some reason, I was unhappy. Very unhappy, when I found that Shiraishi had to kiss Kumiko. A side of me wanted him to not do it and drink that accursed beverage, even if I knew full well the horrendous circumstances that would befall my rival host if he did so; and as much as I respected Shiraishi as a person, and held no ill feelings towards him, I had wished that he had taken the penalty instead of completing the dare.

A part of me started bubbling in anger when I saw that they were going to go through with the dare (which was a thoroughly stupid dare). And another part of me was just blank and apathetic to it. Which part was which, I have no idea- was it my heart that boiled in anger, or was it my mind?

Ishimaru Kumiko was a nice girl, and she wasn't too bad on the eyes either. But I've seen far more vivacious beauties than her in my time as a host, and most of them fell to me willingly and easily. Kumiko was hesitant and quite reserved, flinching at even the slightest touch and intimate breath. She was a great artist, but I knew many women who are great sportswomen, writers, business pioneers and many more. They were very well-rounded too, in addition to being experts on their chosen field.

All of which, never helped me explain the frown that crawled onto my lips as I watched them now, and the sudden urge to break something when their lips first touched.

One of the things I learned as a host is that the heart is an unpredictable, traitorous creature.

And I believed that more than ever now.

I chewed my gum in thought, before turning to return to my room, not wanting to look at the sight of them together any longer.

Just thinking about it won't help me. I had always been a hands-on, do-it learner. If I wanted to puzzle out the mystery which is Kumiko, I had to go to the source herself.

….A little part of my pride took a blow here at this moment as I recalled the words I said to her many, many nights ago.

"_I've figured you out."_

Obviously, I hadn't. In fact, she made me even more lost.

* * *

**Ahahaha...haha...ha...so sorry for the late update guys! I hoped to get lots done during my winter break, but my bro coming back hadnt helped on that part...and there were so many parties I had to attend! My cousin's birthday, my mum's house party for her friends reunion...my brother's birthday party (there was two for him _ one by my family, one by his friends), then there's the trip to Thailand, and to Singapore...then the hangout day a friend arranged for my bro and me...gah! there was just a lot =/**

**And...I need some feedback on this...uhm, I've been getting mixed reviews on whether this story should go longer or shorter X__X I've got some emails complaining this story was too long and I should just...focus on Marui and Kumiko and get it over with. Then I got those which said I should drag out the torture between Shiraishi and Marui...OTL I know this is my story and I should do whatever I want with it, but the reason I even write this is for you guys, the readers! So I really want the story to be to all of your liking...x.x**

**And no replies to reviews this time around! I have to get going and finish my things before school reopens!! But reviews is always appreciated, as you all should know by now =D thank you all for reading and being patient with meee~!! Happy New Year!!!  
**


	32. More and More

"_Fine Line"_

"_Time to accept, time to accept~!"_

_Chapter 32: More and More_

~***~

My eyes blinked open, momentarily wincing at the obnoxiously bright light shining into my face from the little round window at the side of the room. I might have had the ocean view, which is great- but I had to endure this agonizing pain every morning due to the lack of curtains.

The events of last night replayed, fresh, in my mind, and I tentatively ran my tongue over my lips. A flush came onto my face and I quickly hopped out of bed before my hormones kicked in and sent my brain to the gutter.

Going through my daily morning ritual, I stepped out of my room only to give a loud shriek.

"W-what the hell…Marui-kun!?" I rounded on the redhead who was rubbing his ears and glaring at me. "Jeez, I know I rile you girls up but not so much…" He muttered and I flushed red, uttering a soft apology for screaming into his ears, though I still felt indignant at his bursting ego.

"It wasn't my fault…I couldn't help it if you snuck up on me like that!" The man rolled his eyes at me. "I was just trying to say good morning you know…it's not like anyone is out to get you, so chill!" He said with a shake of his head.

"Well, it's not everyday I have someone greet me good morning by breathing down the back of my neck…" I said with a huff, still feeling the heat on my cheeks at the memory of his breath tickling down my neck moments ago.

"Yea, yea, touché." He said with a sigh, raising his hands up in the sign of surrender. Then he blinked at me. "Don't tell me you just woke up?!" He exclaimed, taking a look at his watch.

I turned red again, knowing that it is near afternoon right now. "I-I slept late last night, okay?! Besides, it's not like there's anything else to do on this ship…" Might as well spend my time sleeping- I didn't even bring any of my art utensils.

He looked at me incredulously, and I wondered if I missed something as I tried to will the pink that was surely on my skin away from the intense gaze he was giving me. "Nothing else to do here? Kumiko-chan, what have you been doing exactly on this ship the whole time?!" He approached me, waving his arms around frantically. "There's a whole bunch to do here!"

I crossed my arms and pouted. "You sure you're not just being bias because this cruise belongs to Atobe and Club Prism?"

He shook his head with a sigh. "Seriously. This place is pretty fun if you know the where and how's. I for one, am really glad Chiyoko-hime has bought the Birthday Cruise package for us. It's not often we get someone willing enough to dish out the money for this thing! And Atobe doesn't allow us on the cruise without a reason…" When he saw my blank expression, he grabbed me by the arms and shook me once, twice, and my heart rate shot up. "This is basically a one in a lifetime chance! You can't let it go to waste! So let's go!!"

Like so many other times before now, I was pulled along as Marui lead- this seems to be a routine of some sort, whenever it's just the two of us- my hand in his as he pulls me along to wherever he wishes to, and I just went along with his heart's wishes.

He brought me around the cruise to places where things are taking place, to places he deemed fun and worthwhile- one of these places being the kitchen of course.

I was highly aware of my hand still within his larger ones, and I could not help but note how smooth they were. Self-consciously, I peeked at my other hand which isn't held by him; they were slightly calloused from constant usage. There was a little marked scar on one of the fingers, from where a pen or pencil constantly pushed on as I drew. My brows furrowed as I stared at it.

"What's up?" Marui had turned around to glance at me, and caught me staring at my own hands. Quickly tucking my hand away, I shook my head with a flush. "N-nothing."

He gave me the look that said he did not believe me but did not push it, for we arrived at another one of his destinations of the day.

I sighed to the side softly, not surprised at it being another buffet. Just how many buffets do they have located around the cruise anyway?

This one was a cake buffet though, so it was fine. It was mainly cake that was offered here.

Right after, he took me to the snooker room, where he taught me how to play pool, having absolutely no experience in playing it before. Fuji, the host whom I remembered ran the art contest back at Atobe's Prisma Festival (him and his rice….), was there and basically owning everyone who even went up to his table to play. I learned much from Marui, and even Fuji gave me some expert tips. But I still learned the most from watching Marui lose to Fuji in a game slowly.

He left the place disgruntled, and I couldn't help but laugh at Marui. I had tried to comfort him, but did a terrible job of it; having little of a social life, I never did have much chance to…comfort people before. And having a friend like Aya, you hardly need to do any comforting- she'd be up and running on her feet before you could even say "Cheer up."

However, it seems like Marui possessed the same qualities as Aya. He quickly forgot his loss to Fuji and was back to giving me his version of a tour of the ship.

Time passed pretty quickly with Marui for some reason; I didn't know if it was because he was just so fun to be with, that the saying "time flies when you're having fun" applies, or it's just because I was too focused on being around him that I forgot the time. I didn't know whether he noticed or not, but I kept my eyes trained on his face as he told me of the ship and the journeys it went through under Atobe, and all the various food he ate before in his life- which he liked, which he didn't like, what was the best, what cane be improved etc If I had paid attention, I probably would have been able to write a whole compendium regarding Marui and his food tastes.

But as it turned out, I didn't pay attention. Hardly. I saw his lips moving, but I was more entranced by those lavender that peeked out from under red strands. They were so bright, and striking.

He had a pair of those eyes which easily enraptured people, arresting them within their hold. It was one of those which were blessed upon one in a thousand.

I think….I never believed that the eyes were the windows to the soul. At least, not before I met him.

Because whenever I looked into my own dark ones in the mirror, I see…nothing.

In his, I see all the emotions he felt reflected in them, widening and lighting up with his mood, darkening and narrowing when his high went down. Just when you think that this guy was all just rubbish and youthful jocularity, something else in his eyes tells you otherwise; that he was smarter and more deep than he looks.

I liked his eyes.

His mesmerizing amethyst eyes- more so than the brown gold of Shiraishi. More than the rusty copper of mine.

I felt a hard thump in my chest when those eyes turned on me.

"Kumiko-chan?" A hand waved in front of me. "Oi, Kumiko-chan?!"

I blinked, refocusing my gaze on lavender which reflected my dazed self. When I passed him a questioning look, he gave me a half smirk. "You were totally out of it. For a moment, I thought you fainted standing…like Yagyuu!!" He laughed, but I blinked at him in confusion.

Fainted standing…? Yagyuu?? What has that got to do with Yagyuu…?

I passed it off as one of his random jokes that I do not understand and did not ask further.

We were on the ship deck now, the sun having begun it's slow descent from the sky, painting the sky a brilliant vermillion gold.

"Well, that's about it for the day." Marui shrugged, walking a step ahead of me.

I smiled at him, though he could not see it. Honestly, I still could not figure out this feeling I have growing for this man. "Thank you, Marui-kun. For the tour."

He half-turned to glance at me. But I guess it shouldn't really matter what the reason for my feelings are. He grinned and gave me that customary V-sign of his. "Welcome."

It was a nice feeling, regardless of whatever confusion it causes me, and whatever fear it rose in me. Thinking through it logically, this unreasonable fear was just because of my inexperience; and it was a sad case.

I was 18 now, for God's sake. Most 18 year olds would be out and about, running and enjoying their new stage in life to the fullest. But I was still stuck in my old cave of a shell, shrinking away from every little thing that even tried to scrape my shell.

I think I'm sick of just sitting on the sidelines and watching; watching whatever initial 'friends' I have grow away from me, having failed to coax me out. Watching my only friends now get on with their lives and experience new things, and new love. I'd be lying, if I said I wasn't a little bit jealous of the relationship Aya and Kikumaru shared. And although I much disapproved of Rinko and her flirty ways, I have to admit that I too am jealous of her outgoing personality, and ability to just be herself.

And now, Marui succeeded in coaxing me out of my shell, even a little; succeeding where all others failed initially, especially those of the opposite sex.

Not just Marui. But Shiraishi, Kajimoto, Niou and the other hosts too. I have them to thank for this.

And Asuka and the rest as well. If they hadn't brought me to Club Prism for my birthday, I will probably be locked in my room right now, still stuck in my old stagnant imaginary world. Although I was horrified at the beginning of even being associated with hosts and host clubs, it isn't all too bad now, now that I'm more familiar with them somewhat.

If it wasn't because of hosts and host clubs, I probably still would have kept my first kiss card!

Marui stretched and plopped himself onto a bench locked onto the deck, overlooking the railing and the side of the ship. Tentatively and shyly, I seated myself next to him, all too aware of his presence beside me.

"It's beautiful." We had a perfect view of the sunset from our seat, and the brilliance of the sky and the sea served to quickly relax me into my place. Marui was already lounging and blowing bubbles.

"Yea…You don't get sights like this often back in the city." He said and I glanced over at him. Serenity was laid across his features, and the wind softly caressed his maroon hair.

Taking in a deep breath of the ocean air, I leaned back onto the seat. "You enjoyed the day, I take it?" He asked, raising a brow at me.

I shrugged, not giving a verbal response and I saw him frown out of the corner of my eyes.

"Oi…what's that supposed to mean?! Don't tell me you didn't enjoy my genius tour?!"

I giggled. "I can't say I didn't enjoy it…" I started honestly. "But I can't say it was very fulfilling either." I was suddenly shoved to the side playfully by Marui. If it wasn't for the bench rests however, with my lack of reflex, I would have been on the floor by now.

"Yea, whatever. You're in denial. That was the best tour you ever had, isn't it?" He asked with a smirk.

A little voice in me said it was the best, "because he was there the whole time." But a larger part of me bristled at his never-ending arrogance.

With a pause, I leaned forward slightly. "You know what would have made it better?"

A fine brow rose. "What?"

"If there was actually a pen and paper in there somewhere, and I can actually draw!"

He blinked at me for a moment, before exploding in full-blown laughter. "Are you serious?!"

I pouted at him. "I'm serious!" I threw myself back onto the bench. "I haven't drawn anything in the past few days!! Asuka-chan didn't let me bring any of my art materials here, and I cant find a single piece of paper suitable for drawing on this ship anywhere!" Marui continued laughing at my childish dilemma, and like I did so many times with Shiraishi (a sign perhaps? ), I slapped him playfully on the arm. "Stop laughing! I'm really serious here! I'm just itching to draw something!"

"You're really addicted to drawing, aren't you? I heard of withdrawals and lockdowns of the body from lack of drugs once addicted, but I never thought that it'd occur with art, of all things!" He guffawed, slapping his knees with laughter.

I grumbled and crossed my arms. "W-well- it's like you and your sweets!! I bet you'd suffer as well if you didn't get your sweets for several days!"

He rolled his eyes at me. "True, true. But that's sweets. Sugar is addictive, like drugs."

I would have continued arguing, but I knew I was on the losing end of the argument. I didn't really have the will to continue the argument anyways. I blinked and jolted my head back when a pen was suddenly shoved into my face.

Unconsciously, my hand rose up to take it. I stared at it, before looking at Marui confusedly. "A pen?"

"You wanted to draw, right?"He said as he rolled up his sleeves.

"Yea but…I don't have paper-" I was cut off short when he stretched his bare arm out to me, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up to his elbow.

"Use my arm."

I deeply hoped the red of the sun's light helped to camouflage the red of my cheeks. "Wha..."

'We have nothing better to do now, and dinner doesn't start for another hour or so. And you're obviously about to breakdown from lack of art-" he snickered here."-so draw on my arm for the time being. I wanted to see how you work anyways."

Still deeply uncomfortable with the idea of drawing on his arm –I mean, that'd mean holding that _bare_ arm of his, with my _own_ **bare** hands and--- I shook my head, nipping any weird thoughts in the bud before it got out of hand- I rested my back on the bench again and crossed my arms. "Yea but, I don't have any ideas at the moment!" That was my last line of defense.

His brows furrowed in thought, and his eyes travelled to look out at the ocean and the descending sun. "Hmm…I know!" He said and gestured out at the sea. "Imagine that as a new plot of land for you to build your very own dream city on!"

I laughed in part amusement, in part disbelief. "My dream city?"

"Yea. So if that was the land that you have to build your city on, resources don't count, how would you place it?" He asked with a grin. A thoroughly innocent grin ( I think), but sent my heart rate up a mile. He just looked…heavenly, with the glow of the sunset casting across his feature.

Licking my lips (to moisture it, of course), I tried to imagine a city of my own, placed across the plane that was the ocean horizon.

Having a satisfying image in my mind now, I could not decline his offer to use his arm as paper for the time being. "Alright." I said to him, and he stuck his arm out again.

I willed the blush down, as I started to put the first few lines onto his firm skin. But the blush came back in a force twice as large when he suddenly shifted and leaned over. I quickly leaned back and he pouted at me. "I wanna see!"

With a soft sigh, I tried to concentrate on the pen and the lines, and not his warm breath against my cheek and neck. "What's that?" He asked, and my body tensed tremendously, the feeling of him talking so close to my ears still alien to me.

I closed my eyes and tried to relax myself, before reopening them and replying. "It's an art museum."

"Hmmm~" The scent of green apple drifted over to me, overriding the salty ocean smell. "In the shape of ball? Interesting."

I rolled my eyes and shook the arm I was drawing on in retaliation. "I'm not done yet!"

He laughed. "Okay, okay. Go on."

Shaking my head with a laugh, I continued. I don't know how long we sat there, with me drawing on his arm till almost every single space of skin was used up. He didn't even need to rest his arm for a bit, claiming he wasn't tired.

As I drew, I explained to him the things I etched onto his skin, what they were, why there were… As I drew on, the image of the city became more clear and clear; until it really grew into the city of my dreams.

When I started, I did it with a vague silhouette of a shadow in my head, not having any real meaning to it. But as I drew and Marui kept asking more questions about what I'm drawing, the image became clearer.

The city and its buildings, roads and tiny stick people; they were all the symbols of what I wish for myself, and wish to be.

They were all things I am not. Merely just wishes.

Just dreams.

I ran a finger softly over one little black stick figure on the corner of his arm.

I wonder if he realized that it represented him? Part of me wanted him to. The other didn't, for I would no longer know how to act around him.

I was still new to this feeling, and the only way I knew how to go about it right now is act as I normally would and pretend that nothing was going on. I cracked that night when Ruriko kissed him, and after Ootori came to check on me, I swore that I would never slip up like that again….

I just don't know how to adapt.

~***~

I sighed as I looked around, looking for Kumiko whilst Aya poked around at everything beside me with Kikumaru.

"Why don't you two go and do what you want? I'll look for Kumiko-chan." I offered to them with a smile. Obviously, they were short on patience in this search- the ship was big afterall.

The two of them pouted simultaneously, and I was not surprised at all that they are in fact a couple, with the major similarities between them.

"Come on Yura-chan! Don't you trust us?!" Kikumaru cried, the pout still on his cat-like face.

I sighed and decided to just let them do what they wish. It wasn't that I don't trust them…it's just that I would probably be the one to find Kumiko anyways….they aren't even paying attention to anything and are just following me around.

Aya skipped up ahead of me and turned a corner on the deck. I followed around the corner not too shortly, but instantly ran into Aya, who had wild excitement written all over her face. Grabbing onto my shoulders with both hands, she backed me up around the corner which I just turned from again.

I shot her a confused look."What's wrong?"

She placed a finger on her lips. "Shhh…" She hissed out, whilst casting a look behind her, a grin on her face.

Kikumaru, unable to contain his curiosity, poked his head round the corner to see. He turned back around towards us with amazement and the same excitement Aya had."Woooooaaa—Ow!" He hissed but shut his mouth when Aya shot him a look that demanded him to be quiet.

With Aya having released me, I peeked around the corner as well to see what it is that got them so excited.

…….

I didn't feel any excitement at the scene I saw.

Rather, I just felt……

Marui and Kumiko were sitting next to each other on a bench, close together- much closer than is obviously comfortable for most people unless they were close friends or a couple. It seemed as if a soft wind blowing would have pushed them into further contact together.

I couldn't see what they were doing, but Marui was leaned over towards Kumiko. Raising a brow, I was about to step around the corner towards them but a hand pulled me back.

"What are you doing, Yura-chan?!" Aya exclaimed with a hushed voice.

"…What? Kumiko-chan is there. Asuka-chan asked us to get her." I replied with the obvious, not hinting at all at my true motives, which even I'm unsure of.

Aya rolled her eyes."Screw Asuka-chan! Let's leave them alone!"

"But why?" My brow rose even further.

"It's obvious isn't it?!" Kikumaru jumped around in silent, giddish cheer.

"What is?" I knew what they were getting at, but played dumb.

Aya started to tug me away, and I grounded my feet. "Let's leave them alone! They're obviously having a good one on one love-love session right now!" She said and I rolled my eyes in response before trying to go back around the corner again but was stopped by Kikumaru. He turned me around and with the aid of Aya, dragged me away from the crime scene.

"H-hey..!" I protested but I didn't have the strength to fight against the two of them.

With a heavy heart and much reluctance, I gave in and walked away with them, to wherever they were headed, casting a worried glance back at the dark corner.

I'll walk away right now, but I have to talk to Marui about this…

~***~

Having splashed my face with water, I grabbed a towel off the rack to the side and dried my face off, before wringing out my hair.

Atobe's cruise was definitely top-notch, and the hot shower really did a good number on me. My eyes trailed over to my raised arm, which was drying my hair. The black ink prints across the whole lower half was still intact- figures that pens coming from Atobe didn't wash off easily.

Dropping my arm, I appraised the drawing Kumiko did on it.

… I don't think I want to wash this off anytime too soon anyways.

It was a beautiful drawing, regardless of the slight sketchiness of it. And considering the lack of equipment and uncomfortable position (my body ached now from being in that position for so long) so that I twitched often, I think that Kumiko did a pretty good job.

I ran a finger over the key components of the image, stopping at the little black figure of a person on the corner. She didn't explain this one to me…She just added it there suddenly.

As she drew, I poked at her and had her explain what she was doing. Some of her ideas were silly and unrealistic, like the watermelon dome, made of watermelon so that she can eat them everyday. Some of them were so grand that even if it was possible to create, it'll take billions of dollars to accomplish. Some of them…just didn't make sense. Some of them were normal, bland and common. But they all had one thing in common.

They were honest.

She was drawing the things straight from her heart, I could tell. The way she slowly and lovingly placed each stroke and line, and the way she looked at them with so much care; even a blind man could see that she took great pride in her works and held great love for her creations.

I've seen many artists and paintings (courtesy of Atobe and working in a place like Club Prism where we often get rich people with lots of expensive paintings) which although were beautiful to look at, they did not appeal to people emotionally…well, they didn't appeal to me at least; and being a genius and all, if I don't see the appeal and greatness of that thing, obviously it doesn't have it!

That aside, I honestly believe that if the painting, even it if it was voted the most brilliant piece painted, cant resonate and move the hearts of its audience, then it's as good as dead.

Kumiko was a good artist, compared to me (I have no artistic skills whatsoever…), but she wasn't up to the level of some of the masters whose works I've had the luck and chance to laid eyes upon. But what she lacked in skills she made up for with honesty.

And I guess that was what made her stand out, in a way. It was easy to figure out that she was the type to stay blended in the shadow and the commons. But she stood apart from them in the way she presented herself- meek, shy, awkward and unsociable…..but lovable for all her honesty.

Don't speak if you have nothing good to say. Don't speak if you will spew false lies.

That is one way to describe her. She won't give you false hope, but won't put you down either.

Some people find that sort of personality undesirable and obnoxious, since it was through criticisms that people improve but…

A knock on the door drew my attention to it and away from the inked drawing on my arm. Heading over, I pulled it wide open, to come face to face with Yura.

I blinked several times, not expecting to find her. "Ah? You're…" I trailed off when I noticed her scarlet cheeks, her eyes looking anywhere else but me.

Confused at such a behavior from her, I asked. She coughed into a fist, and nodded towards me with closed eyes. I looked down at the direction she nodded. Only then did I remember that I was just in nothing but a towel, wrapped precariously around my hips.

Scratching my head in slight embarrassment and at the awkward situation, I stepped aside. "Um…Come in first while I go get changed." I rounded and swiftly grabbed my clothes off the drawer top and stepped into the bathroom to put on my clothes.

I emerged back into my temporary bedroom to find Yura standing in the center, arms tucked behind her and fidgeting awkwardly. Pulling out the roller chair from under the desk in the room, I threw myself into its seat, letting the chair roll some ways from my sudden weight. "So what's up?" I was curious as to why she was here. She wasn't someone I had much contact with; despite all the times I've seen her, what with all the meetings with Kumiko. But she seemed to be a nice and interesting character that I might want to get to know better. According to Akaya, she was pretty smart too. Perhaps she'll be a challenge to my genius wits?...nah. No one's as smart as me.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you so late in the night…" She started but I waved a hand, dismissing her apology. I pointed at the bedside clock with a laugh. "It's only 11pm!"

"…Late enough…" I heard her mutter softly under her breath with a sigh and a shake of her head.

"So what is it that brings you here to my room?" Surely not a confession? I tend to get that a lot from the girls and women visiting the club. As I always say, it's a tough job, juggling between work and personal affairs, especially when they tied in so close.

Yura took a few steps towards me, stopping a few feet away from where I sat on the chair. "I'll get straight to the point, Marui-san…" She started softly. And although there was no sign of hate, malice or any type of negative feeling from her, I cant help but register a heavy veil drooping over the atmosphere of the room. Yura was usually smiling kindly at everyone.

She wasn't smiling now.

"What are your feelings towards Kumiko-chan?"

It felt like a bomb dropped on me, leaving me in its blinding wake- baffled and lost.

The hell is with that question all of a sudden?!

* * *

**Reviews pwease? =x**

**oh...it seems dragging the story out won over cutting it short and giving Marui and Kumiko a quick happy ending...will they even get a happy ending? Hmmm...maybe Shiraishi will get it instead? Or maybe...NONE OF THEM?!!! -bricked and knifed-  
**

**Kouyan- XXD is he now? 3**

**Cynaide- Thank you! ahaha I read too to destress, although I'm more geeky and read literature like LOTR...orz**

**PhoenixRage92- I never left! How could I be back? D8**

**Juunin- XD **

**blackcricket- aww thank you! *hugs* I'm glad you enjoy my writing! And it doesnt have to be the end for Shiraishi you know XD there can always be alternate endings...ahahahaha...orz I'm a bit of a sucker and sadist for ansgt endings though...Marui and Kumiko might not even have a Cinderella ending D; And even if Marui gets Kumiko and Shiraishi did fall for her afterall, have no fear! I plan to write a side story featuring Shiraishi and Kumiko, taking place along FL's timeline, but only we sorta turn the tables against Marui haha that's only if I finish FL and Love Story though...orz**

**Rika-XD thank you!**

**TheMadChatterKina-I'm sorry for the late updates =x School started so I'm really busy x-x *failing physics and losing honor role***

**Slowdanse- haha dont we all wonder the same thing about some of our friends though? XD**

**archiefan3ever- wow, your name is hard to type in the original format lol x-x but thank you! and yes, Shiraishi is gaining fans everyday through this...I should get reward by him, damnit! XD jkjkjk  
**


	33. Dodge, Dodge, DodgeBALL!

"_Fine Line"_

"_War is pain. So is love."_

_Chapter 33:__ Dodge, Dodge, Dodge-BALL!_

_~***~_

I didn't exactly know what I was doing, confronting Marui like this. It really wasn't my business whatsoever, whatever Kumiko got herself into.

But Kumiko was my friend, and I couldn't just sit by and let her be…I don't know…lead on!

The brochure that I received from Atobe so many weeks ago was still sitting in my car, and though I only read it once, I remembered the contents clearly; about their terms and service, their host rules and customer rules…

I knew Kumiko well. And she's my best friend. And she was too….trusting.

Almost instantly, from her very first step into Club Prism, I had a nagging feeling that she may possibly be hooked by the hosts. She may talk negatively about them all she wants, but her face betrays her emotions and real thoughts; always.

And although most may be oblivious to it, I had started to note the small changes in her behavior around the hosts- especially Marui. I don't know about Shiraishi, Kenya or Kajimoto, since I am hardly around when she is with them. They also weren't from Club Prism, and I was thus unfamiliar with their Club Sacred's rules.

Marui's eyes shifted around, as if sifting through air for some sort of answer. "Um…she's a nice girl…"

I waited patiently for an answer. My question was random and abrupt to him, and given my rude behavior, I should at least be patient.

As I waited, I took in his appearance. Mussed up red hair, and captivating lavender eyes. A round face and smooth skin. Tall, yet not so tall, with an above average build. A combination that will have any girls swooning- characteristic of majority of hosts. And Marui being from a first-class host club like Club Prism, I should expect that he and the others in there are more omnipotent that the hosts from clubs that aren't up to their standards and levels. I wouldn't really know, since I don't go to hosts clubs, and Club Prism was the only one I ever been to; but it was easy to assume and come to that conclusion.

It…isn't that I'm jealous of Kumiko. She and I were very much similar, and though if people were to know of my questioning regarding Marui, they would be quick to come to the conclusion that I was jealous of Kumiko and in fear of losing a friend whom is socially on the same standards as me. Unlike Kumiko who is very much into the arts, I was enthralled by the riches of science and the mysteries it offers.

Psychology tells me that people in general, act with the principle of self-gain. It also tells me that people prefers and like having friends who are similar to themselves. That is why the religious gather with the religious, the adventurous with the adventurous, the bookworms with the bookworms…a very stereotypical view and basic; but it held much truth. It may not be completely perfect, as obvious from our little group of friends (Asuka and Aya were clearly were not like me and Kumiko; Rinko was a bit of an oddball), but it applies to most. Because most and almost everybody feel more comfortable with those who are like them. Even I am not above that.

Kumiko is very much like me, but I'm not becoming jealous and neither will I if she ever starts changing and start pursuing a love life of her own (we're considered the turtles amongst our friends). In fact, I'll support and push her on in her decisions.

Just not with Marui.

Not with any of the hosts from Club Prism.

The image of a hunched figure flashed into my mind and my frown deepened at the memory.

And perhaps…not with hosts in general.

~***~

I was walking down one of the corridors of the ship with Kenya, discussing about Club Sacred's recent financial activities and what we can do to further garner customers when we spotted a familiar mop of brown hair.

"Ishimaru-san, morning!" Kenya greeted, as did I as we approached her.

She turned around and blinked at us in surprise before returning the greeting. "Good morning, Shiraishi-san, Oshitari-san." She was being an early bird this morning; usually she'd be up around late morning or noon, like most of the guests on this ship (it's understandable though, since being Asuka's friends, I wasn't surprised if they were hardcore night ghosts…)**

Kenya rolled his eyes at her as we neared her in the empty corridor, save for us. Most of the inhabitants are still asleep, being 8am and all. "Just call me Kenya. It's a bit troublesome to be called Oshitari, since Yuushi is on the ship too and that name might confuse us…" He grumbled. I chuckled at this. It's not that Kenya wasn't proud to be an Oshitari or anything, but because he and his cousin Oshitari Yuushi shared the same family name, they get confused as to who is being called when both are around each other; not only that, for some weird reason or another, many girls on board the ship keep mixing them up. I have no idea how they did it, seeing as they don't even look a like. Then again, almost all of the guests here aren't host club goers, and were pretty new to us…so maybe that's why? After all, it's easy to mix things up when introduced to so many at the same time.

It was a bit awkward at first, since this ship belonged to Atobe who ran Club Prism. And Asuka invited us, a rival host club to his…But what was more awkward was that many of Asuka's friends and relatives aren't host club goers and were pretty shocked when they found out that this was a host club's birthday package (a very expensive birthday package to boot).

It was like being in a new school. We would get shot weird looks from some of the guys and some of the elder women, and slightly fanatical red looks from some of the younger girls. Conversations were weird and strained at first, and I did not blame them. There were many controversies surrounding host clubs, although I sometimes wish they'd separate us from the other faux host clubs.

We weren't bootleggers or anything like that. In fact, I'm proud to tell people when asked that I am a host for Club Sacred, a high-class host club.

Standards, rules and beliefs varied from clubs to clubs, just like religious sects. And I am fully confident in our club's rules, standards etc and what not.

Luckily and good enough, the people quickly warmed up to us and assimilated us quickly. I met a lot of new people here on this cruise, and Kenya is even expecting some of them to be soon familiar faces at our club. I don't really have an opinion about that, but if it's true, then it's even better, since competition amongst us first-class host clubs is really tough. Almost everyday we're thinking of new ways to keep our customers coming back! A bit wearisome, but it is fulfilling to know what your company was appreciated enough that they'd come back to see you again.

Kumiko acted as she usually did around people in general- quiet, shy, a short cynical and pessimistic comment here and there- despite that weird kiss we shared. I was glad for that; I'd hate to lose her as a friend just because of a silly dare.

Kumiko was a good friend to have around in her own way. I had Kintarou as the childish and hyper one who just brings a smile on your face with his silly antics. And then there was Kenya with his occasional idiocy which will send people rolling with laughter, and he'll be there to listen when you need him. Then there's Gin, who works at a Temple a few stations away from Club Sacred- he's the one to turn to for a parental figure and advice as well as counseling, and good tea too! I meet many people and know many working as a host, ranging from customers to the hosts I work with. Kumiko is the one who gives you a bit of reality to life with her cynical and pessimistic comments, and makes your day by giving you that rare smile of hers, and it feels like you've accomplished something good when she does smile genuinely. In turn, all she wants is your silent support.

At least, that what I think about her.

Whether I'm right or wrong though, it doesn't really matter. Because in the end, she is still a good friend who I know will never do anything behind my back. She's one of those rare people who once you get to know them, will be your friend for the rest of their lives- like Kenya, Gin , Kintarou…

We meet many people in our lives, and many whom we never stay in touch with after a time. Our classmates from school- after graduation, we probably only keep in touch with one out of 20 people. Our playmates when we were little- most of us don't even remember their names anymore. There are many others who we meet and get to know a little- but the thing is, will the brief bond last, and fester into a long-standing friendship? Or will it flicker out in a few weeks, and perhaps even days? It's hard to know.

But there are cases where you just know that this person is one of the ones who'll still be there once you've got grey strands and begin to form a pot belly.

Kumiko casted me a curious and suspicious glance. "What are you smiling about?" The smile on my face grew even wider at that suspicious tone of hers, as if she thought I was planning something terrible. I wasn't, of course. I was just smiling as I thought about all the people that I've met, and how out of them I got to know great friends such as her, Kenya and the rest.

Let's all be honest and say that even you can't help smiling when you know you've got people supporting your back all the way. People who aren't tied by blood to you. People who care about you more than your blood-family sometimes even.

It's one of the most gratifying feelings in the world.

~***~

I raised an eyebrow at Shiraishi when his smile only got wider, but pushed it aside, figuring it was just my paranoid side coming up. Shiraishi was too nice to do anything terrible.

At that moment, Marui walked down the hallway up ahead, at the T-junction, turning into the one that led to the breakfast room. I smiled and called out to him, waving. "Marui-kun! Morning!"

He paused, turning to look at my direction and I expected his usual cheesy grin and V-sign. But it didn't come.

He only gave me a small smile, somewhat nervous in nature, and then he was off.

I stared at the spot where he last stood, having stopped in my tracks from slight shock and confusion.

Had I…done something wrong? Did I make him angry?

My heart lurched in slight panic and fear at the thought that Marui might possibly dislike me and no longer wants to hang around me.

Since being onboard the ship several days ago, I've been so used to his presence around me, and hope was even beginning to kindle within me that there might be a chance for me and him.

I had never dared to hope before, as we were from such different worlds and of such different personalities. But since yesterday, after that time we sat together and I drew on his arm with the sun casting its ethereal glow on us, like a beacon of light, a flicker of hope had been kindled- that he might possibly like me.

It's….it's too sudden, too painful, for that hope to be put out now.

I muttered a quick goodbye to Shiraishi and Kenya before heading off the other way, opposite from the way Marui headed and the way the two hosts were heading.

My walk to wherever my feet took me was brisk and scattered, and I lightly noted that my fingers shook at my sides.

~***~

Kumiko walked down the hallway at a brisk space, having abruptly turned around, muttering a quick goodbye and was off on her own way- having discarded all notions of heading to the breakfast hall with us.

Me and Kenya stared after her back in confusion. What caused her sudden change in demeanor?

She was being her usual dim ball of sunlight and suddenly, she's all rain and glum.

"What happened to her?" Kenya asked me, and I could only shrug helplessly.

"I don't know…"

A short silence between us as we each pondered over her sudden departure. And turned to continue our way to the breakfast hall, Kenya asked a question that I had never thought of before, and might possibly explain her behaviour.

"Oi, Shiraishi….You think Ishimaru-san likes Marui?"

"…..Maybe."

It was a question which I very much wanted to know the answer to- it has sparked my curiosity, to say the least.

~***~

A dodge-ball event is being held in the indoor gym, taking up the span of two basketball court. People are asked to volunteer, and they were split into groups.

I absolutely hated dodge-ball. I can't throw a ball to save my life. I was only good at running away from the balls and cowering behind people. My past experiences with dodge-ball were terrible-none had been pleasant. The only memories I had of dodge-ball is the ominous _whishing_ sounds of the ball leaving the hands of the boys, especially, and then the painful _twack_ sound afterwards as it hits someone in the team- and sometimes me, which then a burning pain follows.

But I usually stayed in the back, hiding around people and staying in the corners and jumping with a squeak and ducking with a yelp as balls come flying- I ran less of a risk of getting hit. Usually after that, I would still be in the game with one or two others left, and several times alone even; At that point, I just hope that my teammates would call surrender, or the timer goes off.

Those were during my middle and high school days, during those dreaded physical education classes and the annual field day's. So given my poor history with sports and dodge-ball, and my extreme dislike of them, I really had to wonder what made me given in to Aya's pushing and allowed her to sign us up for dodge-ball.

We're being split into groups now, and my heart was thumping wildly as I looked around my group mates for Aya. Please don't tell me she and I were split into different groups…Asuka should know better! Already we're being moved onto one side of the basketball court and I still cant spot Aya amongst the 30 or so people in my group. Or rather, I probably just did not want to admit the fact that she **wasn't** in my group.

Oh God.

Just then I noticed a mock of bright red hair on our side of the court. With a sigh of relief, I called out to him. "Marui-ku…" I trailed off, just as the judge for our round blew the whistle.

Everyone had been given the chance to change into comfortable clothes and their sports clothes if they had them, and Marui was no different.

But it wasn't the unusual sight (I never actually saw him in any other attire other than suits, and his swim clothes that one time during Prisma Festival) of seeing him in sports clothes.

My eyes were stuck on his _clean_ and bare arms.

It….had only been yesterday that I drew it on. It can't possibly have rubbed off so fast…?

Could it?

It took the screams from some girls (and guys) who got hit to bring me out of my trance, and even then, I couldn't concentrate. My eyes widened and instinctively, I ducked with a squeak as an orange ball flew right over my head (I could feel the wind from its passing!) and hit someone behind me.

"Oh fu-!!" I could hear the person's curse cut off halfway as the ball met his stomach.

Around and outside the court where the game is taking place, the audience were cheering for their favorites and friends. Distinctively, I could hear Rinko screaming my name. "Kumiko-chaaaan!!! Get a ball and throw!! Take them out, take them ouuuuuuuut!"

'_I would if I could!'_ I thought with frustration, frantically dropping to the ground again with my hand covering my head as two balls flew by.

What is with these people?! They threw so…so…hard!!

They were worst than the boys back in high school! I thought those boys were monsters then; these guys are abominations!

I had a slight reprieve, and I took the chance to survey the court. All the males, and the few sporty girls, were on the frontlines, dodging, grabbing and throwing balls at each other. The weaklings like me, (and the occasional guy) stood on the back of the court, doing nothing but dodging balls and hiding behind one another.

Our team is at a clear disadvantage though. We had more girls than guys, and the other team had more guys than girls. Call me sexist but it's the truth- we're getting owned cause we're experiencing a lack of guys!

A yelp left me as I jumped to the side as a red ball came flying my way, nearly hitting my head.

"Nice dodge, Kumiko-chan! Now throw somethiiing!" I heard Rinko screaming again.

I tried to do as she said, and picked up a ball, but dropped it as soon as I got to the front, seeing a ball flying towards my face, and ran back.

How am I even supposed to aim with those things coming at my face?! Giving up all notion of even trying to throw again (not like I could anyways…the ball just flops to the ground…) I focused on just avoiding the balls and prayed for the timer to go off.

Time ticked by and it felt likes ages had gone by; but it had only been minutes.

Before I knew it, the other team still had about 8 people- 3 guys and 5 girls.

And we had…3 people- Me, Marui and one other gir- a thud and a yelp. Scratch that. She just got taken out.

I had been surprised when a yelp from the girl and turned to look at her, not noticing the ball that came flying at my face before it was too late.

My eyes screwed shut and I bit my lips, waiting for the impact; but it didn't come.

"You will definitely get hit if you keep your eyes closed!" Marui's partly amused, partly annoyed voice came from before me and I peeked an eye open to see him standing before me, having caught the ball that was aimed at me- causing its thrower to be out of the game (if the ball one throws is caught, the thrower is out).

My eyes instinctively went to his arm again, and my heart dropped to see that the pen ink is gone- completely.

However, I was not given time to contemplate this or ask him about it, for he grabbed me by arm. "Get up!" He yelled, pulling me and started running to the other side of the court with me in toll as more balls came at us.

The girls on the other team had gained courage, seeing only the two of us left, and had started picking up balls and throwing as well, along with the two remaining boys. I was not worried about the balls from the girls, they probably didn't hit as hard. I was fearful of the ones coming from the boys though. I don't recognize the two of them, although I think one of them is Asuka's cousin or something.

Marui had amazing reflex and sharp eyes, and he dodged with ease, hardly breaking a sweat. I was doing fine, considering the situation although I was less graceful in my movements compared to the redhead next to me. One or two times, Marui had pushed me to the side to avoid an oncoming ball that I didn't see or didn't have time to react to; and another time he blocked a ball that came with the ball he held in his hand.

Pretty soon, the other team was exhausted of balls, and we had all of them on our side.

The crowd was going wild, seeing such an exciting and unbalanced game and were cheering for us to win. By that time, I was going mad with the thought of when the timer would go off. "When does this thing end?!"

"Just so you know, Kumiko-chan….there is no timer." Marui told me and I looked at him horrified. He calmly leaned down and picked up another ball, now holding two in either hand. "But we've got the balls now, so we've got all the time in the world~!"

A pop from his bubblegum.

"Err…I cant throw really well…" I said as he looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to pick up a ball.

He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Why am I not surprised?" He muttered with a shake of his head. I usually would have pouted and tried to make some sort of comeback, but I didn't this time, seeing as I'm a handicap to him.

"I'll…try and not get hit though." I offered with hesitancy.

"I'll hold you on that." He ran forward and I stepped to the back of the court again, watching as he threw one bright red ball in full force at one of the guys. But he dodged it. Then running to the side and avoiding the red ball that came flying back, he softly threw the ball at one of the girls standing nearer to the dividing line than the rest, and she squeaked as it bounced off her thigh. And she was out.

1 down and 7 to go….woohoo…..

But I was amazed that he was able to control his strength so easily in such a situation, making sure to hit the girls not as hard…I wish the other team did that! Maybe then I wont be such a coward! If it were me, I was sure that I would blindly throw all the balls with all my strength, hoping to some missing God that one of the balls will hit!

No balls came flying back at us, and immediately the both of us knew that they were waiting for us to exhaust most of our balls so they can fire it all at us in one go. That won't be a pleasant scenario.

And as it always does, the worst scenario does happen.

However, we were fortunate enough that it was only down to one guy and a girl left; a team equivalent to that of me and Marui. Although I didn't like stroking Marui's obvious ego much, I had no choice but to admit that it was one helluva amazing thing he did- evening their team number down to ours. He really was a prodigy.

Despite his efforts at evening us out though, he was still handicapped with me on his team. I just made one little mistake of looking over at the girl, who was conspicuously picking up a ball on their side (I was being paranoid)- and then I was taken out by the guy, a scream leaving my throat which in turn distracted Marui and got him taken out by another swift ball from the guy.

We left the field defeated- though I must be honest I felt more relieved than disappointed. For if we had actually won, we'd be sent to the next round to play against the winners of the other courts, while losers are sent to play against losers of the other courts. And I must again be honest and say I do not want to play against the winners- they must be pretty good and strong to win, especially with such tough competition around.

I do feel bad however, for being taken out. I felt like it was my fault that we lost. Actually, it is my fault. If only I hadn't gotten distracted and hadn't been a paranoid hag, perhaps I would not have gotten hit and distracted Marui in turn.

My other team members sighed, seeing as it was a close battle. Some of the more competitive guys shot me nasty looks, while some of the girls patted me on the back. But I didn't really care what they thought at the moment. It wasn't them that I felt I had let down.

It was Marui.

His look of great disappointment was something that had not missed my eye as we walked out of the empty battlefield.

I walked up to him with hesitance littering my steps, and timidly tapped him on the back. He turned around, and I quickly looked down.

"…Sorry." I said, with a bow of the head.

I expected him to just walk off or something, but he patted me on the shoulder, causing me to look up. A smile was alighted on his face and his lavender eyes was shrouded, veiling from me what his thoughts were.

"It's no biggie. It was just a game."

Just a game. I remember Marui telling me once before, awhile ago, that he is a sportsman and really hated losing.

He had told me the tale of how he got up at 5am every morning just to go train his stamina back during his school days when he played tennis.

Someone who considered a sport as just a game will not shake off a loss lightly.

And I felt that was how Marui felt.

I always knew I was weak and soft and had sometimes regretted not spending more time on sports and physical activities, and just being more confident.

I never wished it more than now.

* * *

****Just a term for people who party till late at night XD**

**Hm. Anyone noticed that what Marui and Yura perceives of Kumiko are contrasting in a way? XD;**

**And…what Marui did, throwing the ball lightly at the girl, it was inspired from real experience XD we were playing Korean dodgeball in school, where one team was basically encased in a square area that isn't too large nor too small; just enough for everyone to stand inside with their arms slightly stretched out. The other team basically stood outside the square lines, armed with dodgeballs and basically tried to take us out (which was pretty easy, in such an enclosed space; and it was painful too- since they were throwing with all their might (the guys) and it was such a close distance…orz) The balls were thrown so hard they bounce off at least three of us sometimes, taking all 3 out simultaneously =w= and headshots counted to boot….I was one of the last few survivors, and basically tried to stay alive and not get hit; and while dodging another ball, a guy had snuck up from the back of one of his teammates, and threw the ball at me. I was lucky that he just did a soft basketball-ish type pass at me though lol- so it didn't hurt. I still squeaked from shock though…he got me in the butt/thigh, which I didn't appreciate OTL but eh….*crawls back into hole***

**I hate dodgeball =/**

**An I've been receiving many comments regarding Yura lol I have some twists planned for Yura, although I'm not too sure if they will work out either; but I want Yura to be the character that is the most humanistic and realistic, and reflects how humanity works in general. People are not consisted of any single sole attribute, and I want to try and bring that out in Yura, since its easier to do so in her than Kumiko for reasons that are too long for me to explain lol  
**

**PhoenixRage92- eheh; its Chinese New Year, and I'm celebrating lol so I've been slow at writing the past week and days; and school is crazy D: I had to sit through 3 tests in a row today, all my worst subjects x-x and have 2 chem mock exams coming up, within 4 days of each other with my Japanese exams in between OTL I cant afford to fail any of those three T___T And watermelon domes are teh luff ;D**

**Cynaide- Well, I like to put twists in my stories XD I actually have a lot of twists planned for Fine Line, but after SO MANY chapters, I still havent employed any yet DX I really hope to get at least one or two out before the story finishes = **

**blackcricket- I never actually thought about Tezuka before lol Sanada became a host here (although I was very reluctant at first) since all the other Rikkai members are hosts, and it would feel incomplete if he wasnt one either . And not all of Seigaku are host members, and so far only Fuji appeared as one- so Tezuka's fate in this story is pretty undecided XD**

**Juunin- Yura...I have addressed Yura above XD she's giving me a lot of problems to write about as well haha since its hard to maintain a constant character while trying to imitate humanity XD And Kumiko aint the best D8 there are better out there! Like....Xi Tian from "White Clouds in the Western Sky"! XD I absolutely adore her haha but thank you nonetheless! I'm glad you like Kumiko =D**

**Archie- its fine XD I'll just shorten it to Archie haha and Marui's answer....sorry LOL its not in this chapter XD **

**Kouyan- XXD happy it made your day lol and sorry bout his answer...its not here XXD; -bricked- **

**Lady Ladington- I dont blame you for piling D8 the story is getting a bit boring and dragged out anyways x-x and I've just been really busy as of late, hence the slow updates =( Like today for example- I had 3 tests to take today, right after coming back from HK (again lol) and missing a day of school due to CNY =/ then there was all the homework I missed during that one day...then there's my driving tests coming up, my 24 Seasons Drum performance coming up, my chem mock exams for IB in addition to my Japanese exams T__T they all cut in on dates so close together! like only 2 or 3 days in between DX Been really stressed lol...then there's all my art commissions piling up...orz *mopes in corner* I update FL usually when people review LOL I usually put it aside and once I see the reviews, I just get inspired to write and I write till my juices run out for the day, then I leave it aside again and then reviews come again and I write again haha like this chapter XD I got a review 2 days ago, and that spurred me to finish it up LOL its so weird haha**

**kuro- everyone is swinging to Shiraishi and Kumiko now; and I also seem to be converting myself and people from Marui fangirls to Shiraishi fangirls haha XD I'm so attached to Shiraishi-Kumiko now that I am planning a ShiraishiXKumiko story after this one and Love Story haha XD and as you asked, a bit of Shiraishi's thoughts on the kiss ;D not too extensive, since that will kill all the mystery and fun...but perhaps more shall be revealed later? ;D**

**TheMadChatterKina- XD *hug* thank you and you're welcome haha **

**NiouMasaharu- lool no probs about the spam XD I luff it when people spam my inbox- it makes me feel loved ;D and...3 days to finish? D8 *shock* I didnt think it will take that long! T_T Omg lol I always thought people can finish it in one day DX And...I'm not even halfway through the story yet! OTL**

**kur-chan- XD *glomp* Glad you like the story =D And a real page turner? Naww, its just cause of a bunch of fanservice and guys around in it XD **

**LadyShinkukaze- You're the third "Lady" to review my Fine Line story haha XXD Seems like Marui is a big ladies magnet Xp but thank you =D**

**Kyuubi- D8 I dont deserve to be called amazing X_X but thank youuuu! It really makes me happy to know that my story can make people laugh; really. It brought a smile to my face when I read that you cant help but laugh aloud XD cheesy, I know but I'm the master of cheesiness lol orz  
**


	34. Standing Up

"_Fine Line"_

"_Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most."- Dostoyevsky_

_Chapter 34: Standing Up_

~***~

Marui….is avoiding me.

I just know it.

The past 2 days, since the dodge ball event, I can hardly seem to get anything other than a short laugh, a hi, a good morning and a goodbye before he is gone.

It…hurt my feelings, to know that he is avoiding me; and for reasons unknown to me. What had I done wrong? Did I make him angry or upset that rather than going through the trouble of confronting me about it he would rather just expel me completely?

I'm starting to understand now, why those girls in highs school always cried when the guy they liked didn't pay attention o them. I never went through this before, and going through it now, I will have to take back all the cynical thoughts I had about them back in school.

I'm starting to understand this sense of segregation, this painful realization that he hardly notices you or just do not care enough about you to spend time with you. This feeling of being ignored and invincible.

But if he really didn't think much about me, why had he always helped me and looked after me ever since I met him?

Had I just been a game to him, to kill his time- and seeing that I was not openly falling into his clutches- he is now bored of me?

Will it change his current behavior towards me if I had made it known to him what my feelings towards him were? Or would that turn him off even more? Marui must be and is used to girls falling all over him- did he like that fact, or did he hate it? Should I make it known to him that I actually felt something for him, or would he just find me even more boring because of that?

All those novelty movies I watched, and in all those fantastical novels I read- the guys liked the girls who did not just fall head over heels for them. Is Marui like those guys from the books and tales, or is he completely different and actually prefers girls who are simple and quick to respond?

Or is he….-!!! I pulled my hair in frustration, furiously rubbing my knuckles into my temples out of pure confusion. I don't get it!! I just don't get him at all!! This is one of the reasons why I do not 'socialize' often, party, hangout and whatever other slangs that exists now for group activities.

I thought I knew him well enough now, what after all the time I spent with him. But no! I'm back to square one- the position I was at when I first met him and he breathed his bubblegum, wine infested breath over me and claimed he figured me out and only made me confuse about him even more which sparked my curiosity to understand him which led to all the humiliating situations I got into and then made me think I understand him and now it all unravels again and-!!!

The door to the toilet opened, putting a halt to my ranting and raving mind, and I calmly turned on the tap to wash my face, pretending that nothing was going on as the girl that entered casted me a weird look before entering a cubicle.

I watched my reflection in the mirror, eyes following the drips of water as they made their descent down into the snow white basin. The cruise is now on the way back to mainland Japan, and I still had 4 free visits to any host club of my choice, using the prize I won at the Prisma Festival…

We'll be back at the harbor in a day and a half or so…

I didn't want this cruise to end with things as it was with Marui, whatever it was. I had no idea what happened, but I do know that if we parted ways like this, the last 4 times I visit a host club will not have Club Prism in the list. It'll be so awkward to go to Club Prism and see him if I'm not even on…normal talking terms with him; and make it even harder for me to even go to Club Prism. I had enough issues with going to a host club in general, not including social issues, but to go to Club Prism when things between me and Marui aren't too bright will definitely make it harder for me. It's like entering a party where you knew nobody else.

I didn't know when it was that the girl reemerged from her cubicle, and I hardly registered the sounds of the water flushing- but I was jolted from my trance at the slamming of the door.

A drip of water found its way to the protrusion of my lips, and fell to my lower lip. I pursed them, to rid them of that one drip.

It was salty.

My hands rose up slowly to touch my wet cheeks- why is the sink water…salty?

I trailed my eyes back up towards my reflection in the mirror, and my face was wet with water as I expected- then I saw a drop leak out from the corner of my right eye, and sled down to my chin, where it fell into the snow white basin like the sink water did.

Oh…so that's why it was salty.

Someone opened the toilet door again, and a sob escaped my throat.

"Kumiko-chan?!"

I was suddenly embraced from the side by the comforting arms of someone. I looked up to find Yura's worried face staring down at me.

"Yura…" I croaked out. The bafflement was blatant on her face, for I never refer to people without any honorifics behind their names, whether they were close friends or distant strangers. I was shocked at myself too, when I realized in the back of my mind that I never added the usual –chan to her name.

"What happened to you? Why are you crying?!" She turned me to face her, demanding an answer, but I couldn't give one. I just hugged her neck and buried my face into her shoulder, unable to control my crying anymore.

Her embrace, the warmth she exuded- this must be the type of feeling you get when your sister encases you in her protective bear hugs.

I wish I had a elder sister whom I can go to and spill all my heart secrets out to.

"Kumiko-chan…?"

I shook my head, still refusing to raise it from her shoulder despite her pleas. "I don't know Yura-chan…"

"?!"

"I don't know why I just feel so…so…" I trailed off. I don't know what I was feeling anymore.

Lost, confused, lovesick, terrified, upset, angry, frustrated…

I no longer can decipher my emotion from the plethora that I was feeling.

"But why are you crying?"

I sniffed and shook my head again.

~***~

Yura led me to my room where she sat me down on my bed, before getting me a cup of warm water.

My throat was sore, and my eyes irritated and most likely red. Gratefully, I accepted the cup of water and finished it in one gulp.

Yura stayed with me as I calmed down, never once taking her eyes off me and never leaving me even at my urging, as there was a big party going on outside since the cruise was almost at an end and everyone is celebrating and partying with all their might. But she was stuck here with a sniveling me who doesn't even know what she's sniveling for.

I'm glad I had a friend like her.

Her, Aya, Asuka, Rinko….I'm glad I'm friends with them and had been given the chance to meet them.

Yura rubbed my back, soothing me. After a moment, "Are you feeling better now?"

I took in a rather large breath, which consequently also resulted in a rather scruffy and rough nasal sound being produced from me, and nodded silently.

Yura frowned and closed her eyes, looking as if she was thinking.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I shook my head, feeling rather insecure about revealing my (tentative?) feelings for Marui…not only that, I'm not even sure what I was feeling right now….this indescribable frustration and sense of loss.

Yura set a soft but firm look on me, and I could not help looking away, unable to hold her piercing gaze. It felt like she stared right through me, as if I was transparent.

"It usually helps if you talked about it, rather than keeping it bottled inside." She said softly, taking one of my slightly calloused hands in her soft ones. "Kumiko-chan I…."

She trailed off, and I just sat silently, waiting for her to continue. She spoke so softly, that her words nearly passed by my ears unnoticed.

"You're changing…" They left her round lips in a wisp of air, dispersing to the thick silence of the room, evermore heightened by the raucous cheers and music outside.

I don't know why, but that made me relent and talk.

I told her about my developing feelings for Marui, this unknown feeling that I never experienced so fully before. I told her about my confusion and anger at his actions and antics. I told her about how I do not understand it, nor how it came about. I told her about how he started avoiding recently, and how it is affecting me. I told her everything.

And she just listened quietly, lending me her ears.

I smiled at her after my full-blown confession, wiping one last tear off my face.

"Thanks for listening, Yura-chan."

She nodded and turned her head away from me.

~***~

Ruriko is here once again at Club Prism.

I had never minded her company before, and actually rather enjoyed. But her presence lately seemed only to magnify the glaring empty space that once was Ishimaru Kumiko.

It's been a week since we arrived back at mainland Japan, and a week since I've talked and seen her. I know that previously when I first known her there were times where I hadn't seen or talked to her for weeks- but it was different this time.

It was usually Kumiko who avoided me, as per her usual shy and hermit way. But this time, it was me who had cut the contact and started avoiding her. And it felt weird, and constantly pressed onto me. I liked to think of myself as a social person, hence my work as a host. I enjoyed meeting new people and hanging out with friends; I never once liked to segregate people or avoid seeing them.

Which is why this is disturbing me more than anything presently.

I had started avoiding Kumiko when we were still on the cruise ship. We had departed ways without so much as a goodbye. And it's been a week since I've seen, talked or heard from her.

It would not have bothered me so much if it was Kumiko who started this, since it was some usual for and from her. But this had begun from me, and it's strange and alien…

And I didn't like it.

What's more, I don't even know why I began avoiding her.

_Yura waited silently and patiently for an answer from me._

_And I racked my brain, turning over every single crease and corner in it for an answer._

_This should be easy._

_It really should._

"_She's a great person to hang with, but she's just a friend." That particular sentence popped into my mind as soon as Yura asked that question of me, and it should have been easy to recite that sentence, for I've said them many times before in different contexts. But it got stuck._

_I had received many confessions before from women, and even confrontations just like this from the friends of the girls. Prodding and poking me to go and take their friend out, to accept their love and be their boyfriend, to elope together with them to God knows where, to make a friend's day and life by asking her to be my girlfriend…I had met with so many different requests before, some of them just so out of this world, that I was now a veteran in avoiding and turning situations like those away and around. _

_The first few times it happened, my heart felt heavy with guilt and sadness when I saw those hopeful eyes turn downcast and glum, tears prickling within their depths, that I was nearly moved to change my answer just to bring a smile back. Atobe, Yukimura, Sanada or some other senior host would step in quickly however before that could happen. _

_Over the years though, I had learned to tune those nuances out and had built an immunity to them. I was prepped and ready as soon as I saw the signs that I had learned to pick up over time- the signs of a confession or confrontation. My answer would already be on my lips before they started, and my answer would be out as soon as they are finished. _

_Of course, I did try to break it out to them gently. But if need be, I'd be firm. Most of the time however, I don't see those girls and women again. Or maybe I do, only in the comforts of another host within the club._

_I saw the signs from Yura, and I should have been ready. I thought I was ready. But when that question left her lips, I was just…astounded, for some reason. Despite that though, my answer was already in my head, on the tip of my tongue; the answer that I have recited over many times before this, the answer that I had practiced and used often… _

_But when I tried to say it, I could only get part of it out, before the rest died out. "Um…she's a nice girl…" I heard the first part of my answer leave the borders of my lips. _

"_But she's just a friend, and a great person to tease." _

_I wish I had succeeded in saying that, but I didn't. Yura was still waiting._

_When I tried again to finish the final part of my reply, my back would stiffen and so would my fingers, and my lips would freeze as I tried to open them. It's like something is not allowing me to- to say those words._

_Time ticked by and I do not know how long it had been that Yura stood waiting. But I figured it must have been long, for she sighed and turned around, making her way towards my bedroom door and bidding me a soft good night._

_I silently begged her not to go, to give me a bit more time. I almost have the answer out…_

_The stiffness in me ebbed slightly as she walked away, but they rammed right back into me when she gave me a low, gentle glance, her voice but a whisper._

"_**It's against Club Prism rules."**_

_My hands curled into a fist. _

_Che. _

_I didn't need you to tell me that._

…_.but she's just a friend… _

Yes, Kumiko is just a friend. And there is absolutely no reason for me to be avoiding her.

If so, what is it then that made me do it anyways? Was it fear?

Fear that I might develop something….no, that isn't it. I've known beauties far more vivacious and gifted than her, so it definitely can't be…

Is it fear that she will be the one who will develop something for me instead, and I will be forced to turn her way?

She's…different from the past girls and women that I have dealt with. Very awkward, but nice in nature. And she's one of the last people that I want to hurt because of that.

"Marui-kun?"

I blinked and looked up into familiar brown eyes—no, these were black.

"What is it, Ruriko-chan?" I asked, taking a sip of wine from my glass.

I saw her eye me from the corner of my eye, before shrugging. "Nothing. It's just that you seem really quiet lately. You're usually really lively."

"I'm still a little wiped out from that cruise trip, that's all." I gave her my trademark smile, and the usual and expected blush surfaced on her skin. Then she pouted. "Why didn't I get invited…"

I turned and pretended to reach for the bottle of wine at the other side of the glass table, but all I really wanted to do was hide my face. I felt the frown coming on, and felt the need to hide it immediately, knowing I wouldn't be able to keep my face pleasant any longer. This was so ridiculous it's starting to annoy me- but I couldn't let my personal feelings get involved with my host work...

Personal feelings…isn't that what started this in the whole place? Mixing personal feelings with my work as a host?

My fingers wound around the beck of the wine bottle, and my eyes closed as I took in a deep breath, pulling the bottle over to me.

I turned around with a grin on my face, offering another glass to Ruriko- all thoughts of Kumiko out of my mind.

She was a friend. And there was no reason for me to get so uptight over this, just because her friend planted some weird thoughts in my head.

Ahh~ next time I see her I should apologize too! I had been really rude to her the last few days I seen her, and it was totally against my training and nature as a host. Hmm…where does she hang out usually though? Well, I guess she'd visit sometime later, with Aya or someone, so it wouldn't really matter.

I'll just have to wait a bit then- and like this, if she was angry at me for the way I treated her, then the extended period of time will allow her to cool off more.

I stretched a little as I waved goodbye to Ruriko and her friends. Everything will work out fine; I'll be on good terms with everyone I know again and things will be just as normal. I was a tensai after all, and I never fail to makes things right- not that there was anything wrong in the first place.

Just a little nick in the corner that needs fixing.

~***~

I bit my finger whilst I drew thumbnails into my sketchbook as I sat at my usual seat at the university's cafeteria. I sat at one of the tables a corner of the vast cafeteria, and usually I was either here alone, or Aya and the rest would be with me sometimes.

Abruptly, I slapped my sketchbook closed, frustrated at what little imagination was leaving me. I had been drawing nothing buts eyes for the past two weeks! Eyes, of all things! But it wasn't just any eye or pair of eyes.

They were his eyes.

The last few pages of my sketchbook were filled with eyes drawn at various angles, but they were all in common in that they all had a purple shade to them. A light purple shade.

My head fell down to the table, and I rested it there, allowing all the entropy to leave from my mind and body (or I was sure I would rip my sketchbook apart any moment). I had been two weeks since I last saw Marui, two weeks and a couple of days since I last talked to him, and two weeks and a couple of days where I never ceased thinking about him.

If I believed in a God, I was certain I would be praying to him right now, asking for a reason as to why am I thinking about him so much. If he no longer wanted to talk to me, be friends with me, why the hell should I care?! That was his problem, not mine!

….but I just can't seem to forget him. Never stop thinking about him and feeling that I've done something wrong to make him ignore me.

I…wanted to go to Club Prism. I wanted to go and see him, to confront him. But…I was no good at things like these. This is again one of the times where I wished I wasn't such a coward and such a social fossil. I wish I had experience, and knew what to do, what to expect, what to say, how to begin…

From underneath my bangs, I looked at all the other university students scattered across the cafeteria with their own groups of friends- hanging out, chatting, frolicking, kissing, embracing, laughing…

Heat rose to my face and I looked back down, hiding my face away from the world, when I thought of what a sad figure I made, sitting here all alone and in silence.

A pair of lavender eyes stared up at me, and I blinked in slight surprise, before they faded out to a grainy texture…my sketchbook had slipped from my lap, falling open and I hadn't realized it.

I reached out for it, extending my hand to grasp it. I…

…wanted to see Marui again. I don't know why, but I really, really do.

But I was so scared to go by my own.

I looked up when I heard my name being called, and I found Aya and the other heading towards me. Rinko and Asuka laughed when they got close enough, pointing at my face as I stared at them in confusion.

"Ahahaha, you have a red mark on your forehead, Kumiko-chan!"

I reached a hand up to rub that spot which I had been resting against the hard table.

They instantly took a seat at the table, and Asuka reached a hand out for my sketchbook without my permission. "Let's see what you had been up to."

I smiled a small smile."Not much. Been stuck lately. The teacher is going to kill me if I keep up the crap pieces I've been making."

Aya and Rinko chatted over Asuka who sat in between them, flipping through the sketchbook. Yura idly watched as the pages flipped by. Soon they got to the pages with all the eyes…

Asuka paused on one of the pages, raising an eyebrow, probably wondering why I had been drawing all these eyes for. "I was practicing drawing eyes."

"Riiiiiight." She said. "I can see how bad you are at them, so you've decided to have 7 pages of nothing but eyes. What's more, they are all purple eyes….How many people do I know have purple eyes?"

Aya had paused in her conversation with Rinko at the uncommon topic Asuka was bringing up. She rolled her eyes upwards in thought. "Kajimoto-san has purple eyes…"

Rinko grinned wickedly. "Doesn't Marui-san have purple eyes too?"

I blushed and looked away. "It's nothing, jeez. You guys are looking too deeply into. I was just practicing drawing eyes consistently, so I stuck with one pair only." It was a stupid excuse, but I figured it made sense…

"So you saw the need to draw 7 pages of nothing but the SAME pair of purple eyes?" Asuka asked rhetorically.

"What's wrong with that?!" I snapped.

The three stooges grinned even more at this. "Why are you being so defensive?" Aya snickered.

"I'm not-"

"Spring has arrived for Kumiko-chaaaan~" Rinko sang in her soprano voice and I winced. Not that she was bad or anything (she was in the choir club) but because she was doing it so loudly that people were looking at us.

"You guys, leave her alone." Thank the heavens that I had Yura on my side.

"Hell no, Yura!" Asuka roared and pumped her fists into the air. "We're going to Club Prism tonight guys!!"

Aya and Rinko cheered instantly and my eye twitched in annoyance.

Yura frowned and spoke loudly to overcome the ruckus they were making. "It doesn't matter if you take Kumiko-chan there or not! What are you planning to achieve by trying to hook her and Marui-san up?!"

Asuka's fine eyebrows disappeared underneath her hairly as he stared down at Yura, and I gulped. Asuka is really intimidating at times (probably all the time). But Yura held a firm gaze against Asuka's fiery ones. "And why not? Why are you so against this anyway? It's not like it would hurt anyone, and Kumiko-chan needs some fun in her life."

"Asuka-chan, I don't need-" But Yura spoke, effectively cutting me off.

"Feelings are not something to be had fun with, Asuka." Her voice was soft, but held great power in them, and I shivered, especially since Yura never referred to anyone without honorifics except when she was really upset with them.

Asuka knew this too, and her eyes instantly lost their joviality, and set down into an angry gaze. "You don't have to come if you don't want to."

I exchanged nervous glances with Aya and Rinko, and instantly raised a hand and placed it on Yura's shoulder.

"Yura-chan, it's alright. Asuka-chan is just looking out for me!" Only Yura knew of my feelings for Marui, and this was perhaps why she was being so protective over me now, as was usual of her motherly ways. I smiled within myself, knowing that the man whom she chooses to marry will be one lucky guy, and her children blessed. Asuka did not know of my feelings, and was doing this all in good fun as she usually did, always finding reasons to get me out of my solitary cave.

And…just moments before their arrival, I was lamenting the fact that I was too cowardly to go to Club Prism on my own (even if I knew I wouldn't have to pay since I still had free visits with the winning prize from the Prisma Festival). So I shouldn't be allowing Yura to defend me, or think bad of Asuka, Aya and Rinko- I wanted to go to Club Prism to see Marui, and now I got the chance to go with them (with the benefit of not looking lame when I arrived there by myself).

I should be thanking all of them. But I didn't, of course. If I did, they will probably find out about what I was feeling.

…so when I arrived there with them, I suppose I would be on my own.

Evening rolled along pretty fast, and I found myself sitting in Asuka's car with Aya and Rinko. Yura chose not to come in the end, even though she and Asuka made up.

I bit my lip and breathed deeply. Yura will not be here to support me on this. Neither will the other three be able to help me on this.

It was time I stood on my own two feet.

* * *

**WOW!...oh jeez! So, SO, SO SORRY guys for the UBER LATE update. I was so busy, that I was on the verge of breakdown (I did break actually...started crying from the stress OTL I'm so weak orz...). I had so many exams going on, both in school and outside, and then there was SAT and TOEFL pressure and then the pressure to pass my Japanese exam (if I fail, I cant graduate to the advanced group sob) and my physics teacher is not helping by being a tyrannical bitch =( Spring break is here, and I am STILL busy %^&*()Y^%$##$%^&!!! Blood teachers loaded us with so much homework and gave us added pressure by having MOAR TESTS (right after exams wtf#$%$&$!#$!!!) right on the day when we return from break X___X How am I supposed to rest when I know I have so much to study for the tests and so much homework to do?!! So I wrote this late at night, after doing some of my homework, before I start immersing myself in my work again. Geh, I dont even want to talk about all the art commissions I have to do OTL**

**To top it all of, no one celebrated my birthday! YAY!**

**......just really stressed out now guys X___X Sorry for the rant D: Anyways! Back to FL News. Hmm...well, not much to say about it other than I'm trying to wrap it up so I'm going to start cramming the drama in xwx Hope I dont fail at that and make the story seemed rush. I dont think I can keep writing chapters about Kumiko and Marui's relationship growth x.x It's taking its toll on me x-x**

**tazdevil- o.O haha I never learnt that when I took health class last time XD I suppose it will be hilarious if someone told Shiraishi that lool I'll see if I can use it, but I'm not too sure, since I want the drama to start rolling now so....XXD;**

**Kyuubi- nah I didnt stop. I wont stop till FL finish, that I can promise you. Even if I update 10 years later XD And I did say a lot of times in my little rants at the end of each FL chapters especially, that I will finish the other stories once FL is done with =0 but what story are you referring to which I never finished? I only wrote stories for PoT and Air Gear...and the Air Gear stories I didnt expect you to read them x.x But I do want to continue my Air Gear story, but the Air Gear plot itself is incomplete and Oh!Great likes to pull so many surprises out of his nostrils that it keeps ruining my story plot and makes it go against the canon story OTL Not to mention it is a bit hard to understand at points...But I do want to continue Love Story after I finish FL, and then Gate To The Heart too (although I will rewrite that and ditch that name. It's so lame- it's from when I first started out lol orz)  
**

**SmileyFace- 3 hours? X_X THAT'S IT?! I expected 3 days to finish this bloody story---!! jkjkjk XXD **

**archie- you got your answer now =D**

**blackcricket- Most girls hate dodgeball I think. I dont mind if it is against other girls, but just not guys orz they're so violent about it X_X **

**Ami- X___X I didnt update for a month and a half now, so if you needed a chapter of FL every week, the long wait must have been painful XD; **

**Kouyan- haha thank you XD well, not all weird...maybe a little XD**

**Cynaide- DX I prefer racket sports to ANY ball sports. I love badminton especially, then tennis and squash XD after that it's pingpong haha I know I can hold my own in those sports at least XD And yea, I knew of those psychology studies but I have my own opinions on the leader types and submissive types being "best friends". I dont think so. the leader person usually has a more show-off type of attitude, and cant take others people opinion against her own, so she is friends with the submissive who are basically the lambs who cant formulate their own ideas. Thats the raw and basic gist of it. There are other little quirks which I noted but then I'd be writing a whole new chapter here if I explained it all lol I know alot of the leader and lamb types, and see a lot of them in my school from various cultures (I live in a culture pot country and go to an international school lol)- the quirks are different but vastly similar. It bugs me to hell too, so I take note of it x.x And..Shiraishi's hair isnt gray! It's ash brown! XD **

**Juunin- lool the pairing KumikoXMarui and ShiraishiXKumiko is at a tie it seems haha **

**PhoenixRage92- there is hope yet for ShiraishiKumikoMarui! XD We dont know yet! Heck, I dont know yet XD I have the idea, but am dancing around it lol And I'm terrible at any ball sports. Give me a racket however and I shall beat your balls back XD**

**NiouMasaharu- haha PE class is fine, depending on the sports they are doing for me XD **

**TheMAdChatterKina- I dont even aim myself at a ball XD I just walk off the field XXD;**

**kuro- I'm not even sure if the ShiraishiKumiko story will see the light of day at the rate I'm writing FL X__X lool why should you feel guilty, unless you're a ShiraishiXKumiko fan yourself? o.o I should have a poll one day and find out how many are KumiShi and how many are KumiMa XD My pairing names for the two!! ahaha  
**


	35. Admitting?

"_Fine Line"_

_"Deep in my heart I'm concealing things that I'm longing to say. Scared to confess what I'm feeling - frightened you'll slip away." - Evita_

_Chapter 35: Admitting?_

_

* * *

_

So much for standing on my own two feet.

As soon as we arrived, the young host (and also newest addition to Club Prism) who escorted us into the club and opened the door for us having left us after wishing us a wonderful time, Asuka had taken the liberty of pushing me into the arms of Niou who had sauntered up to meet with his "favorite girls," as he put it. Somehow, I got the feeling she just used me as an obstacle to obstruct Niou's path- whatever it may be. But she did always express how Niou was her least favorite host and person in the world, finding him annoying to great lengths although I never asked. Personally, I saw nothing wrong with Niou, other than him criminally exuding sensuality from every single pore of his being.

It always set my face burning red, much to my chagrin.

So that was the exact color of my face as Niou grinned down at me, having just caught me after that sudden (and rather rough) push from Asuka. My face was redder than Marui's hair.

Speaking of Marui, I was disappointed to find that he had company when we arrived. He along with Jirou, Akaya, Oshitari Yuushi and Gakuto had been booked by a group of girls visiting from overseas, and was recommended this host club by a friend of theirs. The girls had tolerable Japanese, but they mainly communicated in their native language with each other(it sounded a lot like a mix-up of Korean, Mandarin and Japanese), and they talked in English with the hosts as well, if their Japanese did not suffice. They need not had to however, for the five hosts with them graciously spoke to them in English to help them along and lessen their suffering. Although Akaya looked slightly annoyed about it, and Niou explained to me that out of all the hosts in here, Akaya is the worst at English; the girls they were with however, found him speaking terrible English cute, so it worked to his advantage in a strange way. Club Prism, being a well-known host club which catered to the rich, elite and famous thus had an international stream of customers as well, and it was required of their hosts to know how to speak English, a universally known language. It was also better for the resumes of people applying as hosts here to know other languages as well. According to Niou, Atobe knew the most languages out of all of them (only fitting, as he was the club head and owner), speaking not only English, but also French, Italian, Mandarin, Spanish and Korean. My eye twitched as Niou listed the languages off to me- I had enough trouble with certain Japanese kanji's as it is, and my English was worst than Akaya's!

Aya was off talking with Yagyuu and another customer who had Yagyuu as her nominated host. She was nice enough to share him with Aya for the night…

Rinko was miffed that Oshitari Yuushi was occupied, and that she couldn't share him like Aya is doing since he's with a group gathering. So she has taken to chatting up Yukimura at the bar (that man still scares me somewhat).

I was, of course, stuck with Niou, as my friends dispersed quickly and suddenly, before I could even detach myself from him. Niou was great fun to be around- despite his sultry and much too open attitude- with his flexible attitude and the many 'tricks' that he pulls on the customers, other hosts and myself. They called him the Trickster host, and if they ever had need of a performer, he is always first to be nominated. The things that he does never fails to pull a laugh from me- they were amazing and just plain hilarious at times. Although I did not appreciate it much if he tricked me. I do enjoy watching him do it to others though….perhaps I was unconsciously a sadist.

However, no matter how entertaining or eye-catching he is, the one who caught my eye was not this silver-haired sex God, but the bubbly red-head from across the room. Once in a while, occasionally, sometimes, often…fine, really often, I found my eyes trailing on their own accord to take a peek at Marui, sitting at a tall glass table at the other side of the room.

A frown made its own way across my lips without my intention, and something within me was really unsettled and restless as I watched Marui flirt up other girls. Then my eyes trailed to the faces of the group of girls he was with; with their bright eyes and silky hair and long legs…

"Hmm? Checking out other girls? I didn't know you swung that way, Kumiko-chan~ Though I should have suspected so with the way you act around men, puri~" My eyes widened in surprise and I moved back, astonished to find Niou looking up at me so suddenly. I hadn't even noticed that he moved!

"I-I'm not l-lesbian or anything like that, Niou-san!" I quickly said, face beating up a fiery red.

"Oh really~?" He leaned in closer to my face and I leaned back instictively. "Got any proof of that for me?"

"Eh, w-well…" I didn't know how to answer that. Proof? What kind of proof? How am I supposed to prove something like this? My eyes shifted to the side again and away from Niou's intense blue gaze, happening to land on Marui once more in my nervousness.

I hadn't noticed Niou's gaze spark with curiosity before following the path my eyes had taken. I did notice the mischievous smirk that graced his lips.

"Oh ho~I see, piyo~!" He whistled lowly into my ear and an "eep" escaped me.

"S-see what?" I bricked myself mentally for my constant stammering.

He leaned in to my level and towards my face again, only this time he kept a hand on my shoulder, preventing me from moving backwards. I was worried. His expression was one of seriousness, and lacking in the usual mirth I was used to seeing on him.

Just as I was about to break from the tension- he smiled at me; a genuine smile that I never once imagined Niou doing before, and patted me on the head.

I blinked. "Huh?"

"The apple of your eye, of course."

He straightened back up and headed towards the bar. "I'm going to go get you a drink~piyo."

I watched him walk away, and swallowed. D-did he knew?

Was I that obvious?

Or was he just super smart?

I hoped it was the latter, although judging by my luck and lack of acting skills, it was probably the first….

Movement from Marui's group caught my eyes, and I looked up to see that the girls were getting ready to leave, and the hosts were doing their job by giving them the red carpet treatment all the way to the door.

I was so focused on watching Marui and the other hosts bid the foreign girls goodbye that I hadn't notice the breathing from beside my ear, fluttering strands of my hair against my face.

I tensed and jumped when I did notice however."Niou!"

He raised an eyebrow. "So you CAN call people without honorifics. That's good to know; else you'd be a very boring and formal person, Kumiko-hime~"

I flushed at his words and the sudden switching of the usual –chan honorific to –hime, knowing he did this on purpose just to rub his words in more.

His arms suddenly slid around me and a grin split across his handsome face. "Looks like the gaijins are gone~ why don't we pay the now-free hosts a visit, puri?"

I stuttered, unable to get any words out as he slid me off my chair and steered me towards the group of hosts that was recently freed up; towards Marui who is now free and available…

"B-but why?"

"Oh, no reason at all. You just looked bored hanging out with me and although I am hurt by that, as a host, the feelings of the princess always comes first~ perhaps Akaya here, or maybe Marui, can be of a better company?" He said this all with a obviously faux sad look; I could see the telltale shadow of a smirk on his lips. He was trying not to break out laughing, I know it.

That was it I guess. He knew. He obviously knew.

Knew that I li-...felt something towards Marui.

"How did it go, my fellow hosts~?" Niou purred as we arrived to where Marui, Akaya, Gakuto and Jirou are. Oshitari Yuushi had already left somewhere, thank the heavens. He still freaked me out, especially the way he stares at our legs…or am I the only who who feels that he is staring at the legs of girls? Maybe I'm just being overly sensitive…

When they shot him questioning looks, he continued. "How did it go with those foreigners? I hope you guys met their expectations; we don't want to set a bad international record afterall puri~" With me still in front of him and his hands still on my shoulder, Niou went on with his unique way of interacting. He turned me to face whoever spoke, and whoever he spoke to. And to be honest, I was almost getting tired of being turned here and there (and dizzy too) but...

And I didn't know what happened after that, but Aya jumped in soon after, then Asuka, and then Rinko and suddenly everyone was gone again and I was left with Marui who just stared down at me blankly. I think he felt as confused and shocked as I did at what just happened; or rather, what we missed that left us standing here.

I shifted under his gaze, before squeaking out a quiet "Hi."

He blinked and then grinned at me. "Yo, Kumiko-chan~"

My eyes widened. Wh-what?

His sudden change in behaviour –yet again- baffled me. During the last few days of the cruise, he was all awkward and reluctant around me….and now…

It's like normal again.

He just went on and on about things and I just listened, followed wherever he went, drank and ate whatever he offered, did whatever he did- but I didn't know what it was that he had been doing and saying, cause neither was I listening, nor was I paying attention.

I was just so…shocked.

Is he…bipolar?

Or am I just reading too much into things?

He handed me something, I don't know what, and I drank it. I briefly registered a bittersweet burning taste in my throat, but all I took notice of was his suddenly…hyper, egoistic, charming and….annoying self.

I didn't know why I was so shocked; probably because this was not how I expected him to be like, considering the way we parted when we last met. But then, what was it did I expected then?

Time trickled by, and still Marui entertained me like a good host.

And I still did nothing.

For a moment, anger flashed through me- anger at myself and at Marui.

Why must he make things so difficult? Why is he so difficult to understand! And why am I such a useless bitch that can never do anything on my own?

In my temporary insanity that is anger, I turned and started a brisk pace towards the ornate stairs that led up to the roof.

"O-oi!" I heard Marui call out behind me, and then the sound of his footsteps quickly following mine.

I threw the door leading to the roof open, and a blast of cold night air hit my face.

I stepped out to the center, not daring to go to the edges due to my fear of heights. So I kept my eyes straight in front, on the view of the city and its lights.

The city lights glowed bright and strong against the cooling veil of the night, and sounds billowed out from every corner and every street.

The city I live in is such a place of wonder and bustle. You can't turn on the local news and not see something exciting that has happened. I like to believe that this city is a place of possibility and wonder, where anything can happen as long as the people wishes it- like a self-reinforcing prophecy.

I love this city where my parents brought me up.

A pop. "Hell of a sight, isn't it?"

I nodded my head.

Marui took a few steps forward, stretching his hands out before placing them behind his head. "I can see why you wanted to come up here. It's pretty refreshing~ It was getting a bit stuffy in there to be honest; I didn't expect so many customers tonight to be honest." Marui spoke in his usually nonchalant and casual manner, and I watched the wind ruffle the red strands of his hair from the back.

"Marui."

He turned to regard me. "Yea?"

My lips quivered for a infinitesimal amount of time.

"I like you."

There. It is done. I said it.

And I didn't stutter too...

Wow.

* * *

**This story is going down the pits =( And I'm so stressed from exams and life. Sigh. Sorry I sped it up guys. But I am really...tired T_T  
**

**...reviews? OTL  
**


	36. Real Contact

**Edit: Line breaks arent showing up at some ponts for some weird reason =(**

* * *

"Fine Line"

"_First impressions and actually __**being**__ are two different things."_

Chapter 36: Real Contact

* * *

I drummed my fingers against my desk, eyes staring blankly out at the empty space that was once my crowded workspace.

The pens, pencils, papers, erasers, brushes…all that once littered my desk now littered the floor.

I had thrown them all down, moving them away from my personal space; they made me felt as if I was hemmed in within a frame, a canvas, which I could not get out of.

These were the tools and things that I worked with for most of my life- the things I called my friends and companion. And now I had quickly threw them aside in my moment of confusion, blaming them for my social awkwardness.

Guilt flashed through me momentarily, and I bent down to pick up a 4B pencil that I often use to sketch people; and most recently, a pair of eyes. Gently, I placed it back onto my desk top, and then proceeded to pick up the rest of my…companions.

The last of them, an eraser which had long been blackened by lead, was dropped onto the wooden desk with a soft thud. I retracted my hand from where it hung in the air, and ran them over my lips.

My eyes closed in remembrance, and then...

"Just what are we and what am I to him…?"

My whisper was not answered by any of my companions.

* * *

I shifted nervously when Marui did not say anything for a time. For a long, long time.

Or maybe it had just been a short time, but it had felt like ages since he just stood there and stared at me with those brilliant eyes of his.

I looked down at my twiddling fingers, unable to keep the eye contact up any longer and gulped several times. One would think I did not have enough water to drink when in fact I drank more than I should this night.

"Oh."

Oh? Was that all he had to say? I wanted to look up and glare at him, but the shyness and feeling of awkwardness that I was so familiar with had returned to me (bringing with them nostalgia, almost) and I instead kept my head and eyes down again.

"That's great!"

What?

"I thought you always hated me or something."

Is he mocking me?

This is the first time I had ever felt something like this towards someone. This is the first time I had ever confessed, usually preferring to keep my emotions pent up and to myself to avoid any horrible embarrassments or pain. And over the course of time, I started believing that I was nothing but a social disaster.

Marui changed that.

He changed it somehow, without me even realizing it.

He made me want to go out and have…fun. Like normal people my age. He _did _make me go out and have fun and did things that I would usually never do. Like dance.

I will never forget that night that I danced with him. I never danced to such a song before, and Marui is the first person whom I ever danced with to such a sped up song; I wouldn't even know I could make my body move like that if it wasn't for him!

The baby dances with my dad do not count.

My gaze shifted up, dull brown eyes meeting with his bright lavender eyes.

I tried to find something within those shining depths that would give me a hint of something….anything! That would tell me what it was he was thinking…feeling.

But I couldn't find anything. Not anything that I could understand.

I couldn't understand this man in front of me clearly. His words, his actions, his charisma, his persona…they all befuddled me.

A hazy fog of my memory surfaced, reminiscing on the night he said he….figured me out. And then I stupidly fell into this campaign of trying to solve what he meant.

Suddenly, panic filled me, of all times. What if he did not actually _mean_ anything that time? What if he was just being a good host and flirting me up?

Then…I would have looked utterly stupid if that was true! In front of him and the rest, and Yura…especially Yura. Considering my sudden outburst at her after….I remembered that day at the café with her clearly in my head still. It is the clearest memory I have of her and me, against all the others.

Thoughts raced through my head, all of them laced with panic and a sudden unexplainable fear; of having done something stupid and looking stupid and being outright stupid.

My heart started thumping wilder than ever in my chest, and it wasn't because of Marui's sudden closeness. No, I didn't even take note of that until he called my name.

Sweat laced my brow, the product of anxiety and nervousness.

I think…I was starting to lose control of myself and my head.

I seriously am.

And it all started because of this…man! - In front of me.

If I had never met him…if I had never known him…I would probably still be the same old, normal, plain Kumiko that I always was and am familiar with. But because of him, I felt things I never felt before, I did things I never did before and never would have done, I thought of things and said things I never did before-! ….all because of him.

Marui.

Marui Bunta.

How could one host- one annoying, egoistic, loud, prideful brat of a host out of _**thousands**_, one man out of **millions**- in the whole of Japan, have done this to me?

And I don't even know what it is that he did!

It irritated me, to say the least.

And there you have it. A proof of the things he's caused.

Irritation? Hah, I never felt irritated before in my entire life! I'd just let things slide and go with whatever happened, as long as it kept me out of trouble and preferably did not involve me.

A hand on my shoulder snapped me back to the present, and I looked up, only to find those deep lavender eyes staring at me.

They shone with something, something that I still couldn't decipher. After all this time, when he has already started reading me like a book, I still couldn't understand a single thing about this man.

I haven't figured anything out about him.

I only lost sight of that fine line that was my persona, my attitude, my life.

* * *

Aya chewed nervously on her fingers, and only stopped when Niou reached out a hand and pulled her hands away from her mouth.

"Stop worrying, Yunami-hime." He said in that smooth voice of his, but it did not do anything to ebb away her worry.

"But Kumiko's out there, on her own!" She flailed her arms around, nearly knocking over a cocktail glass off the table. "She's….she's….well, you know how she is with guys in general!"

Aya was worried about Kumiko. The girl had been with her for as long as she could remember, and she knew how giddy and nervous Kumiko got around guys. And although she saw some improvements since they took her to Club Prism for her 18th birthday, she was still worried about her; since it is Marui she is alone with currently.

Its not that she think that Marui will pull something (Asuka will personally harm him if he did anything anyways). She knows Marui, albeit not too well; but enough to know that he can be trusted. And Kumiko had been alone with Marui before anyways- too many times to count.

Its just that…this time it's different.

She hadn't been blind, no, although she acted like it. She hadn't been blind to Kumiko's small changes in attitude and reactions towards Marui. She had been with Kumiko for the longest time, far longer than Asuka, Yura and Rinko put together. And she knew all her antics like the back of her hand, and had attainted the ability to read her like a book- not that she was hard to figure out in the first place. If anything, she was like an elementary kid's picture book.

She wasn't sure if Asuka and the others noticed before the cat was let out of the bag, but she knew Kumiko had developed some sort of affection for Marui. If one did not know her as well as she did, they would not have been able to see the little differences between her reactions to Marui and to other guys. She still turned red around Marui, like she did with all other men in general. She still stuttered and looked anywhere but their eyes. But Aya saw, and knew: Kumiko liked Marui.

She didn't know the depths of her feelings for Marui, whether it reached a higher level than just mere like and affection- but like Marui she did.

And it worried Aya to leave her best friend up there with the first guy that ever did this to her.

How would she act? What will she say? How will she feel? How will she cope? All these questions and many others ran through Aya's mind.

She had wanted to sneak up there and watch, support Kumiko (…spiritually until she inadvertently breaks in to make her support physical) but Niou had said no, and blocked her path up. Asuka bristled at the silver haired man for awhile, but then calmed down enough. Rinko was undecided about what to do, and Aya felt that Rinko didn't really care enough anyways since she was soon back to flirting with other hosts.

Aya hadn't understood why Niou stood in her way, and how the hell he even knew anyways. And Asuka…she just shrugged when asked. Said something about letting the little turtle grow up for awhile.

Aya pinched her arms, to keep herself occupied as she paced around in the hallway that led to the elevator.

She'll pester the answer out of Niou later on how he knew about Kumiko's feelings, and his unconventional help in getting the two alone to give Kumiko a chance.

For now, she wanted to worry about her friend.

* * *

My breaths came out in shaky puffs, not because of his sudden closeness, but because the night air blowing against my skin was really starting to affect me. It was freezing up here.

Marui seemed to notice.

"Maybe we should head back down…you're shivering." As he said this, he held one of my hand in his, gently running his thumb over my cold fingers, a frown marring his face.

Was he…ignoring my confession?

Turmoil bubbled at the pits of my stomach, hope and despair warring against each other. He…hadn't said anything against my liking him and has only been tender so far, which eased my fear. But then he also seems to be deliberately ignoring it.

"Marui, why aren't you-"He silenced my question, placing a finger against my lips and I stopped talking.

I stared up at him as he looked down at me, and I could faintly smell his breath laced with the scent of green apple and pervaded also with that of red wine.

A child -_**bubblegum**_- and adult -_**wine**_- from beginning to end.

From when I first met him, I think I grew to love the two combinations. Nostalgia rose in me when I recalled my fervent dislike of alcohol in the past, and mixing it with sweets? I found it repulsive. Funny how much one person can change…another. Or perhaps…how much a person can change without realizing it until…

I kept my gaze steady with his and for a moment, I thought sadness wavered in those eyes of his, but then when I blinked to take a better look, it was gone and his usual unreadable gaze was back.

Without warning, I felt his soft lips over mine, and my eyes widened in shock and confusion.

Is Marui….kissing me?

The original me would have fainted right off the bat if a boy even kissed my cheeks. But the me now stood there, astounded, not knowing what to do or what was going on,

It wasn't my first kiss- no, my first kiss was taken by Shiraishi when he saved me from drowning.

And yet, I wondered if a first kiss was supposed to feel like this under normal circumstances? I know my cheeks were burning a deep red right now, and the cold air could not do anything to cool it either, and goosebumps were blossoming all over my skin; both from the cold and a rising anxiousness.

My heart rate tripled in a space of a few milliseconds, but my body was still frozen in shock, mind unable to process the moment to give any orders to my limbs.

Just when I parted my lips shakily to give voice to my confusion and began to take a step back, Marui broke the contact and without even giving me another glance, took my hand in his and led me away and back towards the elevator down to the club room.

Once again, he led me and I followed. And I was only allowed to look at his back which forever seemed turned to me, a book which I can never decode, hiding his true self away from my prying eyes.

* * *

**Feels like this story is going nowhere for some reason. Argh, I just wanna head on to writing Love Story, Absolute Prince, Spice and restarting Gate To The Hearts (only that will be demolished and rewritten).**

**Thanks so much for all the reviews guys! And dont forget to review this too XD ps: if it helps with reviewing incentives, I usually read the reviews of the latest chapters and depending on that, my rate of writing changes XD;**

**Now going onto my personal thanking for reviews again after thanking in general. I just realized I forgot to thank you all personally last chapter x_x ...do you guys actually even read this bit at the end and the replies I give back? x.X  
**

**Lolita07- loool one day? x_x I hope you didnt strain your eyes D: but heres an update for you and thank you for reviewing!~**

**kur-chan- haha thats the point of cliffhangers isnt it? XD thank you though~!  
**

**Falceto - Sorry bout the switching POV thing XD; I wanted some sort of flow to the story without that ugly *Marui's POV* thing in most stories I see interrupting lol and sorry bout the long chapters as well x.x but short chapters just really..._bugs _me for some reason. And the initial chapters...ahahaha...I was still groping around in the dark for a point to this story at that time, and I've only just started developing Kumiko at that time so I was pretty lost as to what kind of person she is xD; If I had the will, chance and wasnt so lazy, Id go back and change the first 8 chapters of this story x.x and sorry bout the cheesy summary too . I told one of my beta readers before that I tend to write some really mushed up cheese stuffs sometimes, and they agreed without hesitation ;_; And as for the age? Eh...they are all 18 and above XD; And they all went to school I suppose haha since I did write that Marui and Jackal attended school together too lol And Atobe recruited all the people into his host club in his Atobe-ish way (coughbribing with moneycough). Jk~ XD but thank you so much for the review! Your review really did lift me out of my slump =D its rare that I get such a long review XD and one that actually feedbacks to me the things they enjoyed and disliked haha XD; not that I dont appreciate all my reviews (I do! I stay up at 2am in the morn sometimes just going through all the reviews I ever got)but I kinda want people to tell me what they like and hate, so that I may improve and change according to their wishes!...so long as its not a flame lol But thank you again! I'll try to get rid of the slump-ish parts of my life soon, so I may jump right back up and update like crazy =D**

**Rika-chi- I'm so sorry you didnt like the last chapter as much =( that was my fault. I was just so stressed that I didnt feel like writing in detail so I just jump shipped and skipped everything I originally intended to write T_T I shouldnt have let my personal life and feelings get in the way of my writing to be honest. Its really unprofessional ;_; so sorry! I hope this chapter will make it up to you a bit at least T_T**

**LazyLadington- I thought you stopped reading this story, since I never saw you pestering me anymore XXD ahaha, and I guess it really does drag things out too much sometimes with long chapters =( I should try to find a balance ;_; but everytime I start writing, I just start pouring every single emotion I feel at that time, and what Kumiko and I myself would feel in that position and then the story just extends itself inadverdently OTL Thank you for reviewing yet again though *hug* My summer is here, but I had SATs to do and now SAT II's to study for and also complete my digital art portfolio for university and complete my IB summer assignments =( there's so much work, summer might as well not be here sigh. I've stayed inside my house for the past 3 weeks of summer T_T**

**demonsadish- I feel like a demon sadist today. Marui's thoughts are not going to be given...for a long,long time ;D **

**TheMadChatterKina- x.x why do you want to punch Niou and Marui? D:**

**PhoenixRage92- haha I guess her sudden spontaneousness coincides with my sudden stress levels which led to erratic writing x.x**

**Kouyan- yes, she did. Finally, right? XD**

**NiouMasaharu- haha thank you XD and I'm getting by better now =D still a bit stress from the work load but better than when I had exams everywhere I look x.x **

**Hoshi Hanabi- yea, it was pretty rushed =( I'm so sorry about sigh. Was really stressed and pressure when I wrote that and I let that get the best of me and it effected my writing T_T And Fine Line wont end anytime soon yet =D I mean, we havent even gotten to the wedding! -bricked-**

**Cynaide- I understand how you feel on the backspace thing x.x it happened to me a lot of times before, so now I have a habit of copying everything I type every so often, or just evade the backspace button xD; and I'm sorry about the typos =/ I've fixed them already and yea, I did speed things up a lot last chapter . I had allowed stress and pressure to override me and it has effected my writing, which is entirely my fault. I should have started writing when my head was more clear. I'll try not to do that next time _; Although I'm still not sure why some of the sentences annoyed you ;_;  
**


	37. Author's Note

I just went back and checked on the previous chapters of Fine Line, and found the **UTTER MESS** it is in! What the hell happened to all the line breaks I placed in the previous chapters? D: It all **DISAPPEAAARED**! *wails*

No wonder I have been getting some reviews and complaints from my readers about the lack of line breaks and confusing POV switches =( They are all GONE! OTL

I...cant **stand **it. It looks so complete and messy and I really wanna place them back in but auuuuuggggh- so annoyyyyiiing. Whhhhhy, , wwwwhy?

*goes and stabs herself*

Sorry my new readers of the previous chapters- it seems you will have to bear with the lack of paragraph breaks until I feel inspired to go back and place in what was originally there but was REMOVEEED! Or I find someone to do it.

*mopes*


	38. Nomination

**Why dont the line breaks pop up sometimes on different reading settings for the page? DX**

**_

* * *

"Fine Line"_**

**_"We are afraid to care too much, for fear the other person doesn't care at all."_**

**_Chapter 37: Nomination_**

* * *

I had used up all the remainder of my free visits to host clubs courtesy of winning the Empedocles event during the Prisma Festival. The certificate, with various signatures on it and stamps, all but one of them being from Club Prism, now lay on my shelf with a stand of its own.

There was really no point in keeping it any longer, since I can't use it as a free pass anymore. But then I had developed some sort of attachment to this piece of paper with the signatures of mostly Atobe and Yukimura on it (all of which affirmed my usage of another free pass) and the sole signature of Shiraishi.

I couldn't bear to throw it away.

Rather, I didn't want to.

Back then, I probably would have laughed and chucked the paper away without a single thought, claiming that I will never visit a host club anyways. Now however…

I had used it to its last worth, visiting Club Prism.

Visiting Marui.

I was afraid I was turning into some lovesick mindless puppy stalking its owner.

Perhaps I already was one although I dearly hoped I wasn't.

He…had not said anything regarding that kiss that night. He never even mentioned anything regarding his feelings for me or anything pertaining to my abrupt confession. Every time I tried to bring the conversation there, he would turn it away.

It hurt when he did that.

It gave me the feeling that he did not reciprocate my feelings, but he did not want to turn me down either because of some stupid obligation he had as a host towards his customer or he thinks that I will just cry and cry and cry nonstop or some other reason that I cannot fathom. What is it that keeps him from telling me something, anything about his feelings towards me?

I desperately wanted to know.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Aya casting me a worried glance before turning back to her assignment in front of her, as if she did not want to get caught by me.

It's no secret to me anyway that she obviously wants to know what is going on with me as of late, so I saw no point in her actions.

She and the others had approached me after that night obviously, asking me endlessly what happened. I kept silent and gave them no information until the next day where I told Aya and only Aya. She was the one whom I trusted the most and known the longest, and so I knew she would not do anything rash like Asuka or Rinko. I contemplated telling Yura what occurred as well but decided against it when I remembered her predisposition towards hosts in general and Marui.

Aya said she'd support me in anyway she can, but not before I made her promise that she will not do anything rambunctious in her…endeavors of support.

But so far, she could only accompany me to Club Prism and watch Marui like a hawk for me.

Because the both of us were at a dead end regarding Marui's reaction.

He kissed me. We concluded from there that he does not dislike me then and there is a glimmer of hope where he actually reciprocates my feelings.

But then he also has yet to say outright that he does returns my feelings, in addition to purposefully ignoring and evading any conversations or questions that is in danger of intruding onto that area. We concluded from there that he most likely does not want to become exclusive or does not like me that way.

His actions contradict each other and I also noticed he became a bit more…distant now too. Not the distant like on the last few days of the cruise ship where he just plainly evaded me. No, not at all. In fact, this time he did not evade me at all. He still approached me, talked to me and such but he was just…distant.

Since I knew him, he had always been open to me- laughing out loud and being his usual nonchalant and carefree self. Now, I noticed his lack of egoism (or at least a significant drop in it) and he was more…reserved.

I can't explain it really well, it's just something I noticed.

And it is because of this too did I notice how much of Marui I knew. I knew most of his likes and dislikes, how he talks, his catch phrase and much, much more. I must have unconsciously started picking up on these traits of his when I still denied my feelings for him.

But it also saddened me because all of these things I knew of him…they were all physical.

Nothing was…spiritual or intimate. I still can't tell what goes on in his mind or how he feels regarding things. I might be able to tell how he will react to say…a temple suddenly being erected in place of Club Prism, but I will not know how he will **feel** regarding that temple being erected…

I'm basically saying that there is a difference between a physical reaction and a spiritual and mental reaction. Like how people sometimes act in one way but inside, they feel another….

That's how it was regarding my perceptions of Marui.

It was all…physical.

And I did not like that. It made me sound so…I don't know…shallow!

I sighed. _Snap_.

I jumped in my seat when half of a pencil stick flew right in front of me, nearly hitting my nose and I turned to face the source with wide eyes.

Aya glared at me from my right, a vice grip still on her half broken pencil.

"That was the 78th time you sighed today." She hissed through gritted teeth and I shrunk back, muttering a soft apology. I suppose it does grate on your nerves after awhile so I couldn't blame her for losing it.

She dropped the pencil onto the table and rubbed her temples and I watched her silently.

"Kumiko-chan…" she groaned out, frustration lacing her voice. "I'm your friend, am I not?"

I nodded.

"Don't you trust me then?"

"Aya-chan, I do trust you-" She pulled at her hair suddenly, wailing in frustration, causing heads to turn around the university courtyard and look at us. "Then why don't you tell me anything?"

I stared at her in confusion. "But I already told you everything!"

"No you haven't!" She insisted. "You haven't told me what you felt about all of this! You only gave me the cold hard facts!"

I frowned. "But you already know that I like Marui-san, what else is there to say?" I had reverted back to calling him –san, as I did not want to appear as if I was imposing myself upon him after my confession.

"Like…how much do you like him, perhaps? Is it fleeting or…something out of the blue or…I don't know! Something more detailed and exact than just…_like_!" Then her gaze narrowed. "And you haven't told me what you were going to do now either! You told me not to interfere, and then you do nothing but just visit him at Club Prism, like a _normal_ customer! Don't you want to be his girlfriend?"

My face flushed at the word girlfriend. I hadn't really thought it out that far, truth be told. I just…randomly and impulsively confessed. But I actually do not know what I want to do after that. I was hoping…Marui would help me decide, by giving me an answer. But he didn't so…I guess I'm kinda at a crossroad right now. I could either go on pursuing him, or just sit back and hope that he will do something which in the case that he doesn't, then I'll most likely slip out from his mind, memory and life with the course of time. Like how you know someone but they start slipping from your life eventually if you do not keep in contact with them…yea…just like that.

It was really ironic how fast people can become friends, and then drift apart even faster. And I turned nervous at the thought that me and Marui will just drift apart because of my stupid impulsiveness. If…our friendship (or what's left of it…) faded away from now on, then it will be entirely my fault.

Because if I hadn't…told him of my feelings, then maybe he wouldn't be so cold right now and we wouldn't be so awkward around each other. He acted (keyword here is acted) as his natural and usual self, but I could detect the faint sense of awkwardness there, amongst the reservation he now displays. I don't think anyone else felt it but me. Or perhaps I was being too paranoid and sensitive yet again.

I hoped it was the latter.

I twiddled my thumb nervously, trying to come up with an answer. "I don't know…" I mumbled hesistantly and I saw Aya's dumbfounded expression from underneath my bangs.

"You don't-?" She choked, sighing in exasperation, head fall down towards the tabletop with a thud.

"Kumiko-chan," she started, "are you really sure you don't want me to-" The words were out of my mouth almost instantly. "No, I _really_ don't want you to." She frowned at me and I winced, knowing that I sounded quite rude and callous just now with my words. But…

"I need to try and do things on my own. I can't depend on you guys forever."

Aya watched me in silence, before finally giving her nod: she understood.

I smiled in return, my silent thanks.

I knew that it would be wiser to have Aya's help. She, at least, had experience when it come to…the male gender, and was far more adept at social situations and happenings than I ever could be. However, I also realize now that if I had her help this time around, or anyone's help for that matter, I will forever be depending on them.

Whether something good or something bad results from my own…courtship, for lack of better word, it will be something I have to bear; and grow, from there on.

My heart still pinched in fear whenever I thought of Marui turning me down, but then, I know that many people in the world get turned down, and they get back up once again- I am after all, not a special snowflake.

I honestly believe that if they can do it, I can too.

…right?

* * *

I peeked around the room of Club Prism timidly, trying to locate that mock of bright red hair.

I was here alone tonight, yet again; only this time, I was not visiting for free any longer. Not wanting anyone else to pay for me anymore, I had come here with the credit card my parents gave me- they would kill me if they found out I used the funds from my bank account on a host club.

But…lets hope they will not find out.

They opened that account for me since they were not around often and I would need money once I ran out of on-hand stock; so if they weren't around when that happened, they told me to withdraw from the bank. They placed money in there regularly- not large sums- just a small and steady in-flow of money. But for the many years since they opened it for me, I had never spent much, as I stuck at home most of the time and never saw the need to buy anything other than art supplies. So the sum in the bank had grew, hardly ever depleting.

Now of course, that I had decided to use some of that money coming here, a large chunk had been swiped off that gold pile. I will have to make up an excuse to my parents later, if they suddenly decided to check how much money was in there only to find a huge decrease in the numbers.

I also hope that this will not become habitual- I don't know why, but I felt slightly irked and sad when I took out the money.

Just as I was about to go to some corner and mope about what I was going to do, Atobe approached me in all his glory.

I ducked my head with a blush when he kissed my hand as was usual of the hosts. "Ishimaru-hime~ its great to see you again so soon." He greeted, voice smooth and a few women in the area giggled madly. I resisted the urge to look at them weirdly. I mean…even I didn't giggle like that when Marui spoke…

I nodded, smiling hesitantly up at the man. "You too, Atobe-san."

He waved a hand airily, linking his arm with mine and without his notice, I stared at him in confusion, eyes wide. What's…going on? So many times had I come here and never before has he approached me and _link_ his arm with mine… I mean, I never even actually had him as a host before either.

"There is something that I must discuss with you." When he said this, I gulped. Did it…have something to do with my recent...attachment to Marui?***

"Ore-sama noticed that your visits to our club has peaked recently." He began as he casually handed me a glass of sparkling juice. "Until today only, you have been visiting on special conditions and terms, so Ore-sama had not approached you about it…" He paused and I blinked up at him owlishly, not getting where this is going. So this has nothing to do with Marui at all….perhaps I should stop relating everything to Marui…I was bordering on obsession.

"As you know, our club works on a nomination system, and if you wish to return here regularly as our customer," My ears perked and my head started churning back to the first day I first came here where the hosts graciously explained to me their club system. "You will have to nominate a host for yourself."

A pause. "O-oh…o-okay."

A short silence reigned in between us, even as everyone else in the room around us continued on with their banter and flirting.

Atobe looked at me expectantly, although his charming smile did not falter even a bit. "Ore-sama…imagines you have someone in mind already, Ishimaru-hime? Or would you like a little bit more time to decide?"

I could sense form his tone that he already suspected I knew who I wanted to pick- Marui. Heck, with the regularity that I come here, with every visit being spent with him, it was a no-gamer.

But…I was also hesitant.

If things with Marui do not turn out well….then, it will be a very awkward and strange and socially uncomfortable pairing indeed- for me at least. I don't think I can handle being in such a position…not that I would visit Club Prism ever again anyway, if things **didn't** go well….

Atobe was still waiting for my response, and I felt pressured to reply immediately than make him wait any longer as I muse.

"Marui Bunta." My lips twitched, threatening to break out in mad laughter at my absurd decision.

He nodded. "Cute choice, Ishimaru-hime." He laughed, and I stared at him confused. He did not enlighten me however and went on with what he wanted to say. "Ore-sama shall go enlist you then, and inform Marui of your nomination." He bowed with a flourish and then left.

I blinked.

Well…that was easier than I expected.

I always thought there would be a celebration of some sort when a host was nominated…then again, that would not be really pragmatic seeing how many new customers they get weekly.

Looking around nervously, I shifted this way and that on my feet, not really sure about what I am supposed to do now.

Wait for Atobe to come back? Look for Marui? Am I even supposed to wait for Atobe? Perhaps I should see Niou and ask him for help? Or maybe Jackal? He seemed like the safer choice. But does Jackal know? Had Marui said anything to him, seeing how close they are?

Doubts and questions sprang up no matter where I look, and without even realizing it, I was pacing around in my nervousness and several people were casting me strange looks.

Someone suddenly tapped me on my shoulders and I jumped- luckily, I did not shriek.

I whipped around and was instantly calmed when I met serene hazel eyes.

"Ootori-san…" I placed a hand over my heart and sighed, trying to calm myself down. I was getting worked up over nothing.

The man smiled shyly and sweetly and I felt that familiar feeling of being a puddle of goo when a child smiles up at me in admiration.

"I'm sorry if I startled you, Ishimaru-san." He said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck and I could not help but smile at his cuteness. "It's alright, Ootori-san."

We stood there, not really knowing what to say to each other for a few seconds until…"It's been awhile since we spoke, hasn't it?" I tried to start a conversation, and smacked myself mentally for the feeble attempt.

He laughed quietly. "Yes, it has." He gave me one of the most angelic smiles ever –one I never imagined to find on anyone of the male gender- and extended a hand to me. "Why don't you take a seat first, instead of standing there? It must be tiring."

I flared red in embarrassment, figuring he most likely saw my ridiculous pacing, and accepted his offer. He led the way to one of the empty seats at the bar, at a slightly more remote corner. I silently thanked him for being so considerate; I felt that he knew I was not very attuned to social places.

He left for a moment and returned with two glasses- one red wine and the other sparkling juice. He presented me with both and I blinked with surprise.

"I…didn't know which one you preferred so…" He trailed off and I could not help the short giggle which escaped me. I took the sparkling wine from him, even though I just had one courtesy of Atobe. "Thank you, Ootori-san."

He nodded with a smile. "You're welcome." As I took a sip, he took a seat next to me. We didn't speak for several moments until Ootori took the initiative to turn towards me. "I heard that you nominated Marui-san as your host?"

My drink went down the wrong way at that moment, and I suffered a small coughing fit. Ootori took that as a sign that he said something wrong, and started worrying and fussing over me, apologizing for something he did not do.

"I-" Cough. "It's alright, Ootori-san. I just drank it the wrong way-" Cough. "That's all." I reassured him and he accepted, reluctantly. "News…travel fast here though, don't they…" I muttered rhetorically.

He laughed. "When it comes to Atobe-san, the whole world can't go on without knowing the latest news." He stopped suddenly, like he just realized something, and looked at me with imploring eyes. "Please don't tell anyone, especially Atobe-san I said that."

"Um…o-okay…" Who could say no to that face? Even if I found his request strange, as I found no wrong in what he said.

Ootori looked like he wanted to say something to me, but I could tell from his actions and the way he shifted his gaze away from me every so often that he was really unsure and hesitant about it. It peaked my curiosity as to what it is he wanted to say, but I did not pressure him.

After about 5 minutes, it seemed he finally decided to just get it out. "Um…Ishimaru-san…" He began and I gave him my full immediate attention. "About that incident back then concerning Marui-san…." Question marks popped up all over inside my head. What and which incident is he referring to?

He couldn't go on however, as Niou suddenly slid in from nowhere and interrupted. A part of me ticked, and wondered why is it that he seems to pop up every single time something was going on or whenever he was not really…wanted?

"Oiii~Oooootoooori~" Niou drawled cheekily. "Your customer is here~" He jabbed a thumb behind him, and I looked to find a girl being entertained by a few other hosts, recognizing Gakuto and Shishido amongst them. I heard from Marui once that whilst a customer waits for her nominated host, she will be entertained by others first since it is their rule that no customer go unattended…for long anyways.

It makes me wonder sometimes, if Niou, Oshitari, Atobe and all the other hosts, even Ootori just now, just approached me because I was being unattended to. It is painful to think of it as such. I never really thought about it that way before until now, since every time I do enjoy their company and their…attention to me seemed genuine enough.

Ootori had quickly bid me a soft goodbye and left to go to his customer, by which the other hosts quickly dispersed. Gakuto and Shishido made their way over to me.

_Were they now giving me the same treatment as they did to that girl previously? _

Shishido raised a hand in greeting and Gakuto instantly started up conversation, bouncing back and forth on his right and left leg.

"Ishimaru-hime, I heard that you just nominated Marui as your host." Gakuto said, leaning in with interest.

"Err…yea, I did…" I scratched my cheek. "Is it that surprising?"

_They…probably were._

"You should have picked me instead~" Gakuto said cockily, tugging at his suit collar for emphasis. Shishido slapped him on the shoulder. "Oi, Gakuto. Don't make me report you to Atobe."

Gakuto rolled his eye. "Since when were you such a dog to him anyways?"

They bickered and I could not help but laugh. But today, I could not feel the merriment I usually feel when I hang with them. I just felt cold inside.

_After all, nobody would take genuine interest in such a boring person as me; not even hosts._

Suddenly, my aim and hopes of coming here to confront Marui dimmed._  
_

_

* * *

_

"Oi, Marui." Marui looked up from the cake he was eating to see Atobe approaching him. He had a slight reprieve right now, since he did not have any customers. He had served up to at least 25 women today, if he counted right. And the alcohol was really starting to get to him for some reason, despite the high tolerance he had developed for it….his poor liver.

The strawberry shortcake he was having is definitely helping him alleviate his mood a bit in preparation for whatever customer comes next, although it definitely wont be good for his stomach- Jackal always warned him about mixing back and forth between booze and sugar.

"What is it now?" He asked, munching on the last several bites of the cake.

"You have just made yourself another exclusive customer, that's what." Atobe said as he stopped in front of the red-haired man, placing his hand over his face that was usual of him when he claimed he was gaining…"insight" into people and events. "Surprising since Ore-sama did not expect you to be so popular when you first joined."

Marui rolled his eyes and scoffed. "I'm a tensai. Of course I will be good at whatever I do, hosting not excluded."

Atobe smirked condescendingly at him but let the comment slide. "Anyways, she's waiting out in the main room. Go now if you don't want to lose a customer this early in the game."

Marui mused to himself. Game- isn't that what this is to all of them here? A game for money and survival in this business where many fall-out early in the hunt.

"Right." He started to leave the pantry and asked as offhandedly. "What's her name anyway?"

Atobe waved a hand airily as he pulled out a bottle of scotch for himself.

"You'll know her when you see her."

Marui rolled his eye. "Geez, and I thought you were the ultimate hard worker. Don't even have enough spirit to say the name?"

Atobe took insult at that comment and said with a glare. "It's Ishimaru-hime."

Marui paused at the doorway.

Ishimaru?

"You mean Kumiko-chan?"

"Who else? There's only one of our customer who has the family name Ishimaru anyways."

"Right."

Marui left and Atobe breezily poured himself a glass of scotch.

* * *

***** Kumiko does not know about the Club Prism rules. Only Yura is revealed to know at the moment. **

**Aaaand, I could not help the references to various PoT stuffs here lol**

**Updating this now, and cutting it short in the process, since I will be leaving to Japan for a break soon XwX Am going to stay in Shinjuku area, which is great for this fic hopefully, since it is where Kabukicho is located with; even if not in Kabukicho area, Shinjuku is filled,filled and filled to the brim with….dundundun! HOST CLUBS!**

**Of course, I don't think I can go in (even though I can speak Japanese…sob) since apparently foreigners can't go in unless they can speak Japanese- but my mum will be with me…damnit. Wish she would have let me go alone T_T I'm old enough D: Me thinks anyways lol  
**

**Still, I hope it will help me gain a bit more insight into host clubs while I am there which I can use to supplement this fic…though I don't think I'll gain much if I'm not allowed to go in (wonder where I can get sleeping draughts for my mum…). Also hope it will be safe, since crimes are high in Shinjuku and the Yakuza likes to lurk there x.X not to mention with all the love hotels and stuffs…I'm looking forward to going out there at night (hell, it isn't called the Sleepless Town for nothing), just hope I wont be of any interest to any shady people x.x**

**Now that I reflect on the nature of host clubs a bit, I actually omitted many of the things that plague host clubs and also make them unique and entertaining from Fine Line…since many of these things do not pertain to the PoT characters, and WILL make them OOC, and also might shoot the rating of this story up one or two notches x.x Pity- since I did a lot of in-depth research on hosts (I have a list of host club names and addresses…kufufufu) as I plan to visit one myself someday, prolly when I attend university XD**

**Eh, maybe I'll write another host club fic one day, with the PoT characters or some other anime or something, but with more of the characteristics of host club incorporated. Anyways, wish me luck guys =D**

**PS: Pray that hosts will try to pick me up there XXD jkjkjk not really haha since they get persistent when they really start going at it lol (this is another thing I omitted from FL)- I cant imagine any of the PoT characters trying to pick up girls desperatey x.x  
**

**Alsto starting to use 3rd POV for other characters now, rather than first. Since it is simpler lol**

**

* * *

**

**NiouMasaharu- wont be fun if he just fell head over heels in love with her now, would it? XD and it is also known that real hosts play hard to get sometimes haha since customers lose interest if they puppy dog them XD**

**demonsadist- haha sorry about that typo XD and you can just go KYA if you want haha no one will judge you for it XXD **

**archie- lool it's alright ^_^ some people never review at all for the whole series haha and what does Marui think...that will be a huge enigma for quite awhile, and maybe even when the fic finally ends XD after all, no one's personality is linear and simple; thats what I believe anyways lol and Shiraishi...will make his appearance soon again. I think.**

**Juunin- weeeelll, women nowadays ARE more...open about their sexuality haha visiting hosts clubs and all...but Kumiko is just not on that level yet, despite visiting host clubs lol she got kinda...chucked there by Aya and the rest XD**

**Cynaide-Yes, Kumiko was having a flashback=] and what concert did you go see? =0**

**Kouyan- that's a good sign of my writing then XD making surprises~**

**PhoenixRage92- dont worry; fangirling is now an official word thanks to use fangirls =D what I dont understand is why you guys are all so happy after a simple kiss haha I always thought people wanted more hardcore action x.x**

**Falceto - *scratch head* I always put lines or some sort of break in the story, even when switching POV's =0 And if you read my author's note, then you should know now that FF messed up and removed all the line breaks from my previous stories and chapters =( At first I was confused by your comment, since I swore I placed in line breaks and yet you said thank you for placing line breaks lol and about Niou knowing…ahahaha…if I had written the chapter 35 more properly, that was the chapter where he figured out Kumiko liked Marui actually XD I should probably go back and retype chapter 35…but am so lazy to do so! OTL And I thought I always placed in Aya and the rest's feelings x-x didn't I? Even I forget what I typed before sometimes XD but I swore I had some chapters containing Aya's, Yura's etc POVs x_x and no, I didn't know you never liked Marui until this fic haha XD And you're not the first person who told me that either lool I've received a couple of reviews now, from people saying they started liking Marui and paying more attention to him due to my fic XD I guess I'm successfully increasing the number of Marui fans haha And to be honest, I don't remember where I got that wine and bubblegum thing again lolz –bricked- it was one of the themes I set for him in the early chapters (in one of the very early chapters; Kumiko is also comparing him to wine and bubblegum there XD) and it stuck till now haha I dunnoe…that's just how I see an adult Marui, and a Marui set in my universe XXD; But thank you for another loooong review haha you made my eye pop out of its sockets with its length at 1am in the morning XD I wish you luck on your exams and your college endeavors! =0 I'll be in your shoes in a year OTL I don't wanna graduate from high school T_T And yes, I do have a DA account lol I actually posted a link to one of my old drawings of Marui and Kirihara on one of the earlier chapters of FL haha erm…since I want to keep my identity secret...I'll PM you my DA instead XD**

**Hoshi Hanabi- I encounter those cyber brick walls a lot x.x but I'm climbing over them, one brickat a time lol but thank you~ I will try to improve FL more, and if not, keep it up to your standards XD**

**LadyLadington- yeaaaa...I was trying to tie some stuffs up, since I went through the early chapters and saw how messy and how similar to a donut it is- with one giant hole in the plot center -.- I was everywhere with the writing, plot and characterization- and seeing as I am too lazy to go back and change them, I figured I should try to clean up the mess a bit at least x.x though there wasnt much I could do about what was written, I just hoped I tipped the scale a bit X_X and did I mention about the story ending every chapter? XD I never realized haha And I'm a little over PoT now too- hell, I'm fawning over a KHR fanfic of mine now but yet to release- but I want to see FL to the end at least, since this is the story which helped me grow Kumiko the most and better define her XD and also made me love Marui more than I originally did haha also cause I feel I have a obligation to the readers to finish it lol and noooo, I did not meant you were lazy by not nagging you haha just...surprised? XD hopeful perhaps? lool**

**TheMadChatterKina- haha Tsundere is usually more of the girl being cold and stuffs, not the guy haha and thank you haha. Ganbarimasu!**

**Slowdanse- I...kinda forgot what the original plot for Sonatas of the Heart was LOL I remember bits and pieces of it, mostly to do with depression (I actually planned it for a angst story lol) but I might continue it =] I'll have it up still, but I want to finish Love Story next. After that, I either continue SoH or rewrite my Gate to the Heart lol or finish Spice haha **

**KyuubiDemon- haha thank you XD I dont even know what's going to happen now myself lool**

**Night Neko-Jin - lool Marui just seems confusing cause I didnt reveal any thoughts of his or his motives XD so he is like a...new and hard maths problem right now! XD**

**NatsuMichi- haha sorry about the scare x.x but dont worry, I do not plan to (and hopefully will not) discontinue FL; one of my goal in life is to finish FL no matter how long it takes haha as long as I am alive XD it is this obligation I feel I have to uphold to the readers lol since I do have a really big reader base for this story, and I know how it feels to find a favorite story discontinued, so I want to spare that of all my FL readers =]**

**ChiiXD- you're safe now XD the update didnt take months lol **


	39. Fine Line Between Love and Lust

"_Fine Line"_

"_There is nothing more dreadful than the habit of doubt. Doubt separates people. It is a poison that disintegrates friendships and breaks up pleasant relations. It is a thorn that irritates and hurts; it is a sword that kills" - Buddha_

_Chapter 38:__ Fine Line Between Love and Lust_

_

* * *

_

Ootori watched out of the corner of his eye as Marui approached Kumiko, whose face blared red as usual when he got close enough. Seeing them turn to head to a private table of their own, Ootori turned back to his customer, as there was nothing else that he can do now.

He smiled and whispered shyly to the girl whilst refilling her glass, making sure not a single drop was wasted.

An hour later, her time slot with him came to an end and he bid her goodbye, having accompanied her into the elevator and all the way out onto the streets. Turning to head back, he saw Niou leaving the building doors as well, also accompanying his customer out.

Ootori decided to wait for the other silver-haired man, seeing as he had nothing else to do upstairs and so Niou would not have to wait for the elevator to arrive.

"Thanks, Ootori." Niou said as he stepped through the elevator doors before pressing the close button.

"You're welcome." Ootori smiled.

They were silent for most of the trip back up of this majestically tall building. The only sounds were that of the elevator gears whirring away in a muted, smooth echo.

"Niou-san, did you know that Ishimaru-san nominated Marui-san as her host?" Ootori began quietly, staring off to his side; his reflection looked back at him somberly from the elevator walls.

Niou leant against the cold wall, a lazy slouch accentuating his posture. "Yea. Hard not to know with Gakuto going about talking about it." He did not understand what the hype was about- then again, Gakuto had a knack for gossip around the club. He just seemed to like spreading any new happenings around, in addition to Atobe. He eyed the demure man across from him. "Why?"

Ootori shook his head, silver strands brushing across his skin. "Nothing just…."

Niou raised an eyebrow and waited for him to continue.

"I think Ishimaru-san likes Marui-san." He recalled the time that girl, Ruriko, kissed Marui in front of Kumiko. And then Kumiko's reaction after. Those were definitely tears that streaked her cheeks, and not water remains from when she washed her face.

A short silence between them. And then…

Niou could not help the short chortle that bubbled up from within. "She does!"

Ootori frowned at him, worry etched into his features. "But you know about our club rules!"

Niou waved a hand, brushing off the matter. "Marui can deal with it on his own. You don't have to worry about it."

"It's not about Marui-san!" Ootori bit his lip as Niou looked at him in slight surprise. It was a rare occurrence that Ootori would raise his voice.

The elevator _dinged_ and the doors slid open. Niou stepped out and Ootori followed close behind. Abruptly, the long-haired silver head stopped in his tracks, forcing the other younger host to stop as well.

"This is something we deal with often, Ootori. You should know that by now after all the time you spent working here." None of that usual mirth was contained in Niou's voice. The blue-eyed man recalled all the times and various confessions he received from customers, and all the many different women and girls who confessed to other hosts as well- all left with their hearts broken. "You faced several of this yourself."

Ootori tried to say something, anything, which can possibly reveal the conflict he was feeling to Niou and hopefully obtain some sort of help from him. "I know but…Ishimaru-san is so….." He trailed off. He didn't want to sound like he had affections for the girl; and he really didn't. Even if he did, it was against club rules for host-customer relationship to go anything beyond what was necessary. He knows that even with a man like Niou, who actually blesses the customers with their requests for…other more shady and sexual activities and accepts their lavish gifts (something which he does not do- it is against his honor), his feelings never traversed out of the area of host-customer business; never had there been any cases of host-customer relations blooming into love.

He expected that the one Marui and Kumiko held would be the same. He did not doubt it.

Kumiko would be left with a broken heart.

And that was what bothered him. For some reason, he felt that if Kumiko got her heart broken, she would never get back up.

She wasn't as strong as the other women and girls.

Ootori sighed and shook his head, clearing his thoughts. "You're right."

He should try and forget about this…it wasn't really his business. And he hardly knew Kumiko anyways…perhaps he is wrong about her weak spirit.

And he recited one last prayer in his head before stepping into the club room that he is.

Niou rolled his eyes at Ootori as he passed. "You're too nice for you own good, piyo~"

Ootori just smiled and proceeded to his other duties.

* * *

"And then he dropped the whole tray! Can you believe it?" Marui exclaimed, shaking his head in dismay. "He got a hell of a lecture from Sanada after that."

My eyebrows tiled and my lips slanted as I listened. "Poor Kuwahara-san…it wasn't his fault."

"That's what I thought too but there wasn't anything we could do. Sanada scares the crap out of all of us."

Marui just kept talking and talking about the hosts, the clubs, the other clubs, food, drinks, Jackal, Atobe's mole and every other topic that exists under the heavens except for anything that pertains to us.

He'll expertly slide the topic somewhere else if I even try to ask him something about him; like what did he feel about Club Prism.

He won't even let me ask who's his favorite movie artist.

I figured it was because of what occurred between us and I expected this reservation from him when I came tonight. But I had no idea how steep it had suddenly gotten since my last visit.

It was horrid. I was at a loss of what to do.

So far I had just been going with the flow, letting chatter about whatever he wanted and do whatever he felt like doing. Go to the bar, head into the game room, play pool…anything. But the whole time my mind was elsewhere, trying to rack up some sort of idea or plan. Apparently, I am not the best at coming up with ideas or preparing beforehand it seems.

"Marui, about that ni-" He let out an overly exuberant cheer. "Oooh! I forgot! Jackal came up with a new cake recipe the other week. You should go and try it!"

I sighed internally as I followed after him to where Jackal was.

Attempt number 8: failed.

As time dragged on and the time my session with him was to end approached, my heart dimmed further and further. It seems like I wasn't going to get my chance tonight.

Doubt grew stronger in my heart; I probably will not get any chances or success on other nights either, if tonight was anything to go by.

On my last attempt to bring up the topic, I thought I saw Marui's eyes flash with annoyance…perhaps even anger. He must be getting sick of my persistence. I forced down the wry smile that wanted to break out on my face, when I thought of the irony of the situation. When I initially met and was getting to know him, I found him really persistent as well….it seems like our roles has switched.

How long has it been since I first met him? 3 months? 4 months? Perhaps even 6 months?

I've lost count.

My eyes drifted to the clock.

10 minutes.

10 minutes left before my session with him tonight was up. I will have to come another night…

A brisk sigh left Marui's lips from his seat across from me. Without warning, he got up and pulled me up along with me. "M-Marui?" He led me away from the main lounge and into one of the more secluded halls.

His pace was tense, and I had to jog a little to keep up with his strides.

We entered one of the miscellaneous room that was empty; soft couches of high quality were placed around, several glass tables and a bar along with a mini fridge.

Marui walked forward into the centre of the room, whilst I stood awkwardly nearby the door, leaning against the wall.

I did not understand why he brought me here, and judging by his stiff posture, it probably wasn't good. Panic simmered around within me as I waited for Marui to...say or do whatever he needed to.

He sighed suddenly, shoulders drooping down. He looked like a man who was tired, tired of life. Running a hair through his already messy read hair, he gave me a sideward glance. I looked down.

"Ishimaru…"

My heart sinked at his formal tone.

He seemed to have noticed my upset expression, for he sighed yet again before facing me fully. "Kumiko-chan…"

I hesitantly forced my eyes up to meet his gaze.

"Stop coming back to Club Prism."

…

My heart stopped and my body froze.

S-stop coming…back?

But why?

I opened my mouth in an attempt to voice my question and confusion, but no words would come out.

Marui's eyes softened when he saw my goldfish-out-of-the-bowl state, and he seemed to hesitate for a moment. But then his eyes closed and he shook his head. Reopening them, his gaze has hardened.

"Just…don't come back," his voice faltered, revealing what his eyes usually expressive eyes would not.

"…why?" My voice barely came out above a whisper, and it felt like it was lost to the suddenly very oppressive room.

My hands suddenly became sweaty and clammy as anguish washed over me and Marui just _stood_ there looking at me as if I was supposed to understand.

* * *

Kumiko was a nice girl, and I truly enjoyed the times I spent with her.

So why?

Why did she have to suddenly say she _liked_ me?

It just made things so awkward!

It used to be fun; fun hanging with her, talking to her, making her laugh, making her blush and stammer…

It wasn't fun anymore.

She was supposed to be different from the other customers. To me, she was supposed to be different from the other women and girls that came here.

But then she said that that night.

And then she became like the rest of them. And I thought of Ruriko.

She was becoming like Ruriko.

…I rejected Ruriko too.

Yet she came back. Like what Kumiko is doing now.

It made being a host not fun anymore.

Looking at them and leading them on; it totally killed the pleasures of being a host.

I was supposed to make them happy, make them feel loved and wanted. But I had to make all the women who came here happy.

I could not be exclusive.

Being exclusive will make it hard to do my job. I surely could not charm another woman if all I had in my mind was the thought of another girl.

And I supposed that was why the Club Prism rule was in place. In fact, this rule is levied in probably all the host clubs in the country.

So why did they not get it? Did they ever read the rules and regulations brochures? Do they even bother?

I doubted it.

But I thought that Kumiko of all people would have, being the cautious and wary girl that she is.

* * *

My body remained stock-still, but my lips quivered as I waited Marui's response.

Moments of silence passed and yet he said nothing.

So I repeated myself, but my voice still hadn't fully returned.

"…why?"

The steely gaze has dissipated from Marui's eyes, and he looked at _everywhere_ and _anywhere_ but at _me_.

"It's…hard to explain." He spared me a glance. "Just don't come back. It makes things easier. For both of us."

For…both of us?

For **both** of **us**?

Did he not mean for him?

H-how can it ever be easier for me to not come back here?

Thoughts of him will stalk me, memories of him will haunt me and I will only miss him!

And suddenly, I realized just how much I have grown attached to this unbelievable man.

The idea of never ever coming back, never ever seeing him again… this idea that has never grazed my thoughts as real until now sent a wave of panic across my mind. I had entertained this thought before, following the days of my confession. But they didn't seem as solid as now, in the face of his demand of me to never come back.

He is the first man that I ever fully opened my heart to, give my heart to.

I didn't just _like_ him.

I _loved_ him.

And then my mind reeled.

* * *

I really love my job and life as a host. It brought me great satisfaction and pleasure somehow, whenever I brought a smile to the faces of women: from despairing housewives to crying secretaries…it made me happy that I am able to wipe that frown and tears off their faces.

And it saddened me to have to break their hearts if it came down to it.

But I had to, regardless of what I feel. Because it was wrong to lead them on, and because I will never feel the same way towards them. For through all the times I have spent with them, I have done so with a platonic train of thought.

Kumiko was the same…

…but then, it did not break my heart to say this to her.

It shattered it.

And I don't know why, but it probably had something to do with the fact that I am more attached to this oddball of a girl more than the others.

Under normal circumstances, she might have been my girlfriend already.

But I am a _host_. And she is a _customer_.

And rules are made to be obeyed, no matter what Niou says. That, and because Sanada's slap is not worth it for anything.

But that is not the only reason. There will be many more women in the future who will come here, seeking solace and reassurance.

The happiness of hundreds of women….to that of one girl…

It was a huge price to pay.

Our society is cruel. Time has made people cruel and oblivious to the needs of other people, focusing only on the needs of themselves and those immediate to them. To me, hosts and hostess's are people who has given their time to looking after those who society turns a blind eye on.

And there will certainly be more people out there who needs our attention.

I cannot be exclusive, not even to Kumiko.

* * *

Love?

What is love?

Is this what love feels like? This pain, this anguish that overwhelms when the thought of losing the one dear to you…is this what love is?

I loved my cat. But I had never felt so much pain when it died. And Marui isn't even dead.

And I love my parents. But I never felt this whenever they left me for long periods of time. But then I know they will never leave me.

And here…Marui is asking me to leave him. He is asking me to never come back, and that in essence is asking me to never see him again.

I…I can't do that!

I don't think I can!

My eyes stung, and before I knew it, a certain wetness similar to the one I felt so many, many, many nights ago when Ruriko kissed Marui made itself known to me.

When he noticed this, Marui turned to look at me but I couldn't decipher anything about what he was thinking or feeling; not through the haze clouding my eyes anyways.

I doubt I would have been able to understand him even without the haze anyway…

I couldn't read him at all. I never did figure him out.

And yet, I adore him so much.

I…love(?) him…

I saw so many girls break down before, being rejected by the boys of their dreams or dumped by their boyfriends.

My shaky hands rose up slowly, to rub at my eyes.

I always told myself that I will never be like them, so foolish. I never wanted to make a fool of myself, never wanted to be a fool.

A sob escaped me.

But as of right now, I sure as hell am a fool.

It was foolish of me to have fallen for this man.

As a result, I could not prevent the break down that followed. A sure result of any fool's actions.

* * *

Kumiko started crying.

And I hoped in my heart that with this she will quickly run, run out of here and never look back. So that I do not have to deal with a crying her.

Because I did not know what to do.

For the first time in my career as a host, I did not know what to do with a sobbing female. This was supposed to be my specialty, and I am supposed to know the cure for it.

But the difference was that this time, I am the cause. I cant possibly be the cause and the cure!

I was already tense and sad, nervous and agitated by all of this. And then she started sobbing more.

"No…no…" The words left her like a mantra, soft murmurs that continued to attack my ears and my whole being.

The gum in my mouth turned stale.

I spat it out carelessly onto the carpeted floor. Atobe will surely be angry when he finds out.

But right now, I was too annoyed, bothered, agitated and edgy to care.

* * *

I heard Marui's footsteps through the dull noise that was my crying. And I pressed my hands to my ears, snapping my eyes shut with all my might to try and drown out the sound and sight of him.

Calm, calm, calm, calm—calm!

I tried to calm myself down. I…never felt so disordered before!

That fine line that was my life and myself…it has been chopped up into little bitty dots and scattered to the wind.

And that wind is Marui.

I felt a pressure on my shoulder, and when I realized it was Marui's hand, I panicked even more. And when I heard his voice, I panicked so much more that I started shaking my head.

I was losing it.

Scratch that, I already lost it.

I never been through something like this before, never felt love before, never been rejected before…it was all new and foreign to me.

I might as well have been plucked off from this universe and stuck into another such as Star Wars or Lord of the Rings.

Oh shit…why did I have to think of that stupid movie with that stupid ring which messed with people's heads? That was the exact same movie we watched before that stupid Ruriko kissed that stupid Marui and…

Why? Why did I have to make things so difficult for myself?

Why could I not think for myself and protect myself from this pain?

A part of my heart screamed out for Aya right now. The other part screamed that Yura was right.

I did not even notice the mantra of "No" that left me. Marui sure as hell did.

For through my cacophony, he told me to stop crying and calm down.

And something like anger surged through me. Calm down? How could he tell me to calm down? How can he have the nerve to tell me that? He is the cause of all this!

I only cried louder.

I didn't even care if others heard. They probably didn't for we were too far off.

"Damn it Kumiko! I said calm down!"

And then I tasted that familiar flavor again, and smelled that familiar scent more than before.

Marui pressed his lips to mine, one of his hands around my waist and the other above the nape of my neck, holding me to him.

He was not gentle, neither was he harsh.

He just…held me against him.

And I calmed.

The sobs died out and the tears slowly ran dry.

My eyes slowly opened, surprised at how easily he sent me into panic mode and then made me sober again.

This was a testament in itself, at how much effect he has on me.

I let my eyes slid close once again, allowing myself to relax in his hold and his kiss.

If he truly wanted me to never come back, then at least enjoy this while it lasted.

And it truly did not last for long.

Seeing that I have calmed, Marui parted his lips away from mine. Lavender eyes glimmered in the light with an emotion I could not decipher.

My heart ached.

I wanted Marui so, so much.

I loved him so much.

And it seemed like Marui understood my thoughts and emotions.

And as if he had not caused me enough pain tonight, he just had to open his mouth again.

"You don't love me, Kumiko-chan."

I stared at him in silent surprise.

"You don't even like me."

I parted my lips to rebuke that, but he hushed me with a slender finger, gently pressing it against my lips. I wished that he had silenced me with a kiss instead.

Because that apple and wine flavor that always made me nauseous is very addictive.

"It isn't love that keeps you coming back here to see me, is it?"

I would have spoken, said that it is but he did not give me the chance.

"It is lust."

My eyes widened in confusion, fear, surprise and…reali...za…tion?

* * *

**Err…Marui OOC much? OTL Depicting a canon character in love is hard…sigh. Since they never actually fall in love unless it is shown officially in the story and with another canon character =w= eheh, Kumiko is OOC too *baaawls***

**Btw, anyone can suggest any good Sasori, Sai or Gaara stories to me? =( Preferrably series, and with an OC rather than...pink haired female dog or any other canon character XD; and perhaps good Persona 3 stories involving the FeMC as well? 3 I cant seem to find any good reads lately =(**

**Night Neko-Jin - ahaha nope, withdrawing is never fun XD feels like a part of your soul is being ripped off from you T_T**

**TheMadChatterKina- awww, I'm sure you will get your chance to go there one day =] I'm just lucky enough that my chance is now . and thank you for the review! *hugs***

**PhoenixRage92- o.O You have a pretty...confident assumption of the action in 5 chapters there haha what made you think 5 chapters? XD and pssh, Niou has always been the villain. He is just subterfugin x.x Another kiss here just for you haha**

**kur-chan - haha I'm glad you liked it XD Thank you for reviewing 3**

**Lady Ladington- aww it ain Marui's fault. It is my fault, as God in this current universe, for making him this way XD besides, what fun is love when there are no complicated emotions? =( and I in fact do write KHR haha not a lot though. I have a Hibari one-shot up here, and a HibariOCMukuro series on my laptop...which I never actually uploaded x.x since I have no idea how I want to go about it even though I have the plot in my head X_X and I wanted to finish FL first haha not to mention I think Hibari fans will hate me for that fic, since Hibari goes through a lot of shit in there XD**

**demonsadist- ahaha I love how you spelled love as lav xD but thank you lol although I didnt see anything so impressive about Marui's reaction but...thank you anyways XD**

**Hoshi Hanabi- aww I hope you get to go soon! X.x**

**Cynaide- yea, sorry about the lack of action in the last one. I was rushing to finish as I was leaving for Japan, so it came out quite half-assed, yet again =/**

**ChiiXD- x_X my story is not worth several nights of sleep, seriously =( dont let it bother you too much x.x it just aint worth it D: And shady people didn stalk me haha XD not when I have so much baggage on me lol (did some really crazy shopping there XD)**

**Falceto- whaaaaat? He tried to harm you? =( Thats just crazy! X_X what did he try to do? =( Nothing serious I hope x.x I usually hit back really hard if someone tries to harm me...though it was more instinctive than thought lol I accidentally hit my dad today quite hard, when he slapped my shoulder X_X its like second nature or something...OTL And Marui...is pretty confused. Everyone in this fic is confused in one way or another, only that I never did explore their thoughts XD but I as the author know that they are confused, and it is no surprise seeing as they have such a confused author as well...OTL And nooooo, keep your lopng reviews XD I lalalalalaaav them -stealing demonsadist's method- XXD**

**Slowdanse- ahaha not knowing why is a good thing sometimes XD knowing just kills the fun lol but I'm glad you liked it =D and Jackal+mysterious is...x.x**

**NiouMasaharu-I know rite? Kumiko is so predictable =( and go learn Japanese XD you must visit a host club at least once in your lifetime, in my opinion anyways XD  
**


End file.
